Pathway to Absolution
by starrose2012
Summary: *Sequel to "Pathway to Destruction."* Dark has been released from the sealing mirror Hestial and Zelda locked him in, and he's got some scores to settle. Or so he says, is their an alternate goal on his mind?
1. Ch 1: Devil Unleashed

**Well, I couldn't hold out for the reviews. So here's the sequel to "Pathway to Destruction." Yes it will be more Dark-based, he's just to unbelievably fun to write. :D Enjoy!**

"**Pathway to Absolution"**

Chapter 1: Devil Unleashed

A sealing mirror is one of the few artifacts left in Hyrule from the "old world" or the time before time began.

A sealing mirror is not the strongest of what's known as "ancient magic" or "dead magic." It is capable of sealing creatures of darkness and of shadow, of any descent. Like most old magic, a sealing mirror's power is lost on the beings of the more modern world, mainly because most modern beings have forgotten the tongues of their descendents.

Its sealing powers, while capable of sealing any descents, have limitations to the levels of strength of the ones it can seal. In other words, if the being proves to strong, becomes too strong, or changes from the original design for the mirror's seals, than the seal is no longer capable of containing said being.

Such then, it can only be assumed that a certain sealing mirror, known as the Golden Light, has proved quite incapable of containing one particular being of darkness, one particular being, with glittering red eyes.

00000000000

_SLAM._

Dark looked up, startled from his bitter rhythm reverie by the sound of…well, _sound_. Dark floated forward. At least, he floated in the direction he perceived as forward. There was no such thing as forward in the Realm of Nothing; there was no such thing as _direction_ in the Realm of Nothing. There was only Dark.

_SLAM._

Again, Dark heard the sound. It sounded like something was pounding against the walls of gloom and misty darkness that surrounded him. But that was impossible. In the Nothing there was only him, only Dark. And that was all that there would ever be.

_SLAM._

Dark clamped his steely fingers close over his Hylain-shaped ears. The sound was increasing. He could almost _feel_ it now. Almost feel it inside his temples, pulsating just beneath his wintery skin. It moved up the sides of his head, still pulsating, making his brain pound.

Dark cried out, he just want it to stop. Dark, after so long in the Nothing, couldn't handle the smallest tremors of the sound, nevertheless the increasing tempos that splintered his brain and body like cracked glass. It was so loud, so loud it physically hurt. Hadn't he suffered enough? Couldn't those damn goddess loving Hylains leave him the Hell _alone_?

_SLAM._

"Stop it! Damn you!" Dark screeched at the sound as it rocked his body hard before dissolving back into the Nothing's misty depths. It was as if the sound were intentionally seeking him out. As if the sound lived only for him, only to torment him. _Wait._

_SLAM._

Again Dark's body was swung back. It was like he'd been hit hard in the face. His body bent backwards in a way only a being of shadow's could, and not break. Then it suddenly, and forcefully, slammed forward, so far that Dark heard cracks all the way up his spine, not that it would be damaging to him in this form. But that didn't mean he couldn't _feel_ it.

But Dark knew then what was happening, and it made him smirk wickedly through his pain.

_SLAM._

Dark felt his body stretch back to its breaking point, before he again slammed forward. Dark uncovered his ears, and instead began to extend his wiggling fingertips forward. He couldn't see what he was reaching for yet, but he was patient. He had to be, or else he'd never have survived this hellhole, _twice._

_SLAM._

That was it. Dark was certain.

Dark felt the sound hit him hard, and when it did, Dark grasped onto it. He felt his body slam forward one last time. This time however, Dark held tight, fingers wringing the sound as if it were someone's neck, as if it belonged to _him_.

Dark was flung forward on the vibrations of the sound. He paid no attention to the endless stretches of Nothing that whipped past as he flew. He didn't care. Dark had seen quite enough of the Nothing to last him until the coming of the Second Age, _and then some._

Dark's red eyes, lifeless pools aside from their constant darkening and lightening, glittered. Yes, they actually glittered, in a way that was only possible, _in the light_.

Dark fell forward, hard. He hit the stone of the floor, his body shaky from the ride. Dark blinked slightly, eyes trying desperately to adjust to the blinding glints of light in them. The room was barely lit, really only enough to prevent eyestrain; but for Dark, any light was too much.

"Welcome my lord Dark Link. We have been waiting for you."

Dark glanced up to see a tall, dark-haired woman. She wore a sleek black mask over her face, preventing Dark from discerning any noticeable features from her, outside from her eyes, which were pale gold. She was adorned in the fine attire of someone of obvious importance, or at least of someone who _believed_ they were of obvious importance. She almost looked like a sage, although Dark was certain that she was none of the Hero's precious friends.

Dark ignored her comment. It required no response. At least it required none from one such as him; he didn't care how important this woman believed herself to be, no mortal would ever be above him, _again._

Dark pulled himself to his feet. It was then that he became acutely aware of the very same. Dark looked down at himself, red eyes gleaming, face smirking in a way only he ever could, unnoticeably slightly.

For you see, Dark's body was, for the first time since his battle with the Hero of Time in that stupid Water Temple, _solid_. There were no misty wisps of darkness swirling about his silver head or his slender midsection. There were no dying hues in his skin. There were was not even the barest fading tint to his hair. No, everything was distinctly, pleasantly and sharply defined. No, Dark smirked superiorly, this was him, this was Dark as Dark.

"We hope you find the body to your liking my lord."

Dark glanced up at the woman, giving her the first sign of any real sense of acknowledgment since he'd arrived. "What the heck," he thought amusedly, "She's earned it."

Dark felt his eyes fully adjust to the light, and he found that in this form, in this body, he could feel the light's touch without large amounts of pain and necessary shadow-like shifting. It was then, peering out from these new eyes, that Dark realized that the woman wasn't alone. There were seven of them total, seven Hylains sporting the same attire and adornments as their leader. Like her, they all wore sleek black masks that prevented him from deciphering any true features. But he could tell that four of them were men. He could also tell that they all appeared to be from different ages; but he doubted that was of any particular importance, at least not to him.

"We chose a strong one for you. He was Hylain, just as you are. He was a young man in his mid-twenties; still full of the vibrancy of youth, but beginning to possess the wisdom of age. How does he suit?"

She was sadistic and straight to the point. Dark couldn't help himself, he liked her. If only that little bit that meant he would be using her obvious magical talents later, and then giving her the mercy of a quick death instead of a slow one. "Perfectly."

Dark turned away from her and moved forwards out of the circle that he presumed was used to summon him. He felt the apprehension in the room spike, a sealing circle? _Clever._

"You want something." Dark frowned darkly at the woman, who nodded curtly. "Well then, hurry up and spit it out before I decide you aren't worth any more of my precious time. I have a great many lives to ruin, and little time."

"You will have your chance, what we require will not take long. In fact," the woman gave him a dark smile, "I think you'll enjoy it."

Dark raised one slender eyebrow and felt the sides of his subtle lips upturn in his traditional smirk, "Indeed?"


	2. Ch 2: Shattered

Chapter 2: Shattered

Link jolted forward. He panted heavily, his fingers massaging his forehead. _What _was_ that?_

"Link? Are you all right?" Navi zipped up from her position on his left shoulder to flutter in his face. "What is it?"

"I just thought I felt—" Link glanced up at Navi, blue eyes taking in her small form of concern, "It was a sudden spike in energy, almost like before when we…" Link trailed off, that sentence explained itself. Navi knew all about the battles the two had faced together.

"You think it's a sign? Maybe we should tell Princess Zelda?"

"I already know." Link looked up at the Princess of all Hyrule as she walked towards him across the slender ship's deck, her heavy skirts swaying. "I felt it too."

Link stood up; and the sunlight that lazily swum over the deep waters of Lake Hylia glinted off the metallic accents of his Hero's apparel.

"It felt odd. Not like any enemies I've ever fought before. Not even like," Link finished that thought internally, it was still too soon to speak his name again, and it had already been a year.

"I know." Zelda moved closer to Link, careful not to be too close, she didn't need tongues wagging at her. She was supposed to be returning from her day on the Lake in time to meet another potential suitor. If she was seen being intimate with the Hero of Time, it would be most unbecoming.

"I suppose this excursion will have to be cut short." Zelda gave Link a warm smile before she turned sharply and became once again a princess.

"Captain." Zelda's voice was firm and resolute; the word wasn't a question, but a command.

"Yes Princess Zelda?" Captain Howlton said smartly as he bowed and approached his mistress, "You require something?"

"I grow weary of this mindless spinning around the Lake." Zelda made a lazy circle with one pristinely-gloved finger; Link snorted into his gauntlets. "Tell me, how long would it take us to return home were we to head for the shore right this instant?" Zelda gave the captain a stare that was a mix between lofty and bored. Link turned away to quell his silent laughter, there was nothing funnier to him then watching the wise and resourceful ruler play the part of a pampered princess.

"Well, if we were to hurry, I suppose, at the very least, four to five hours Princess." The captain seemed unable to contemplate the sudden change in his lady's mood. Something the rest of the crew had learned long ago, and responded to effectively, for they knew what was coming.

"Four hours? Come now Captain, surely you and your company can best the time it takes a toddler to cross a living room floor? I will expect myself to be in my throne room no later than _three_ hours from now." Zelda went over to the large chair that had been set up for her under a royal purple pavilion in the deck's center, "Surely you will impress me if you do so, no?" Zelda gave a slightly seductive smile from the corner of her mouth. The Captain responded in the way all men did, blushing and puffing his chest in pride and determination.

"Of course, my lady, right away." The captain spun on his heel and began barking orders at the crew, who were already yards ahead of him.

Link gave Zelda a playful smirk. "You really are something princess."

"Not nearly my lord Hero of Time," Zelda said, still in princess mode, "Merely a ruler in control."

ooooooooooooooo

Dark had forgotten what food tasted like; he'd forgotten what it meant to eat.

Dark pressed the fork back into his mouth, lapping up the tastes and the smells as he went. He could sense the emotions in the air as the mysterious woman and her friends watched him eat. He rather wished they weren't watching him, sensing their disgust, their fear, their horror at him made the meal slightly less enjoyable then it would have been were he alone. But beggars are so rarely choosers as they say, and Dark had not the power yet to be considered anything but one. So he ate ignoring their feelings and thoughts, as they rattled his mind from all sides.

Having finished devouring a full cucco, Dark reached next for a loaf of Hyrulian bread. Dark ripped it in half with his nimble fingers, before shoving as much of it as possible into his mouth. It was his second loaf, but he couldn't help it, he found he liked bread. Swallowing hard, Dark drank some of the wine that had been offered to him next. He didn't fear any of it being poisoned, he would have sensed it. Besides Dark, for the first time in a long time, felt actual hunger gnawing at his insides and he had no time to contemplate death. There was no point to poisoning the Hero's shadow anyway, all these people would lose is this body they'd given him, and Dark would be free to shift his way in and out of the darkness in Hyrule once again.

"I trust the food is to your liking then?" The woman's voice appeared smooth and calculated, but Dark could sense the disgust and fear that laced its underbelly. The terror in it made Dark's eyes gleam. And Dark felt his muscles surge with energy as his strength increased from it, maybe these people being here wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Dark didn't even look up at her as he moved onto the fine Gerudo dates, and the Kokiri Forest's imported nuts. This woman's usefulness was quickly running out, and Dark had never been one to make a promise and keep it. If the woman cried out that he had signed a pact with them when he killed her; cried out that now that he was breaking that pact he would be cursed for all eternity, he wouldn't care in the slightest. Dark would just smirk and laugh his cold laugh for, _what else is new_?

"Now that you have finished eating my lord, might we discuss our reward for your release?"

Dark leaned back in the velvet chair; it was of fine quality and didn't even give a tremor under his weight. "What is it that you want of me?"

The woman blossomed at his comment. It was as if the whole of her being had been holding its breath, fearing the worst. Now with his assurance she fully relaxed. Dark smirked at her; this woman sure was easily swayed. Were the minds of these Hylains so weak? Was there truly no one who stood a chance against him? Was there truly no one who stood a chance against his charms, his tricks? No, Dark thought bitterly as he waited for the woman to begin speaking, that wasn't true, there was _one_.

"I cannot give you my name my lord, nor the name of my fellows, but I trust lord that when you hear our desires, your heart will ring as one with ours."

"O dear goddess above this woman is dull." Dark thought distractedly as he rested his slender chin on his silvery hand. Why had he thought she'd be useful?

"We are followers of the old ways my lord, we seek to return the rights of the great goddess forbearer to her rightful place as mother to the sacred three goddesses. And we—"

"Hold on." Dark cut the woman off sharply. "You want me to engage in old magic?"

"Well, only in the interest of the great mother forbearer because you see we—"

"Crimodia is not one to be trifled with by ones who do not know the forces in which they are messing." Dark's red eyes lowered, his face darkening gravely, "Nor am I, for that matter."

The woman gulped, and Dark was sure that could he have seen her face, it would have gone decidedly paler. "But my lord, the time for a change in Hyrule has come! The darkness of the reverse triangle cries out for justice!"

"There _is no justice _within the darkness!" Dark sprung to his feet, knocking over the chair in the process. The noise made the seven jump back in fright, their bodies shivering in unmasked terror. Dark marched over to the woman and grasped her firmly around the neck, his fingers yearning to break it. "I warn you that if you continue down this road you will only cause suffering for yourselves and for your kind."

"Most importantly," Dark thought slightly nervous, "They might cause danger to _me_."

"B-but—my lord!" The woman's voice had gone thin with fear. Dark saw it swirling around her, like a white mist that made the air denser, his eyes flicked over from her face to the other six who were huddled together against the far wall of the room. Their eyes were tiny and small, their chests beating out heartbeats faster than he could read them. _Fear. Distrust. Fear. Horror. Disappointment. Fear. Horror. Death. Pain. Fear._ The feelings kept circling as he searched their hearts with his mind; these people were useless.

"I will not grant you a request so foolish. So either make another quickly, or accept that our debt is square." Dark dropped the woman unceremoniously to the floor. He heard her cry out as she hit the stone hard. Dark felt a spike of anger run through the group, but he cut it off sharply with one look.

"B-but! My lord, we are her children! Her cult, we still believe that this kingdom of Hyule can be returned to her forces! We wish to release Ganon!" If the woman was hoping that mentioning the name of his former master would stir him, she was right. Dark felt anger, pure unchecked rage surge in his chest, how he _hated_ that man.

"Now you wish to release Ganon too? You must only seek your own destruction." Dark walked away from the woman until he stood at the far reaches of the sealing circle. It was time that this ended. He had more vital tasks on his agenda, such as a tormenting visit to his little Hero. Dark felt a mix of malice and mirth at the very thought of his fair-haired twin, he loved tormenting that goody-goody.

"But we released you! We are servants of the great darkness! We are tools for you to use at your disposal! All we ask is that you help our tribe achieve its one desire!" The woman's voice had shifted to panic, and Dark gave her a charming smirk, he didn't need her running. He felt the apprehension in the room plummet as he shared his smirk with them all; his undeniable charm an inevitable pitfall for those who were not well versed in the ways of dark and light.

Dark continued to smirk at them all, keeping them transfixed on his face as his nimble fingers formed signs. His eyes began to darken, a tell-tale sign to any who knew him, that he was about to work dark magic, but of course the seven were dead to everything outside of Dark's subtle lips.

A small flicker, if you could say a ball of pure darkness energy could flicker, formed at the center of Dark's cupped hands. It wasn't a strong spell, he didn't need one. If these fools had known what they were doing he might have had to call on stronger magic, but no they couldn't even etch a sealing circle correctly. Dark sent the spark at the circle's side and blasted a break in it large enough to send a crack through the air like a whip. Dark moved forward past the circle's line, waving his hand as he went. Seven sets of eyes followed him as he moved; seven sets of lips quivered in mounting levels of fear; seven necks took in air in a way that had Dark not possessed the ability to feel dark emotions, would have alerted him to such.

Dark pulled his hand back in towards himself. Where there had been swirls of darkness he now grasped his ultimate weapon, his dark replica of the Master Sword. Dark moved towards the clutter of people first, extinguishing their fire with little amount of effort. He saved the female leader for last; he wanted her pain to be double what theirs had been. Dark turned subtly, arm raised he grasped the woman by the front of her ridiculous robes.

"P—please…" It was barely more than a whisper; it was a plead meant to work its way into a heart, reaching out at him for mercy. Maybe in another being the word would have received some, but not in him, he was incapable of that emotion. "P—please, spare me, I saved you."

"You did. This is why I'm ending your life now, instead of later."

Dark watched the woman's eyes widen in dawning realization; Dark smirked. He liked it when they thought it was all their fault, made the suffering of their passing more intensified. Dark swung and the woman crumpled, dead before she hit the ground. Dark flicked the excess blood from his blade, before returning it to the mist.

Dark stepped over her body and moved towards the hallway. He needed to locate some clothes, and a bath, there was something decidedly farm-like about this body that he found repulsing.


	3. Ch 3: Darkness Swelling

Chapter 3: Darkness Swelling

Link walked respectfully across the large inner chambers of the Temple of Time. His deep blue eyes taking in the sunlight as it tinted the floor a glossy white color. The Temple's high-vaulted ceilings reached beyond the average person's eyesight, making them seem as if they faded up into nothing. Link walked passed numerous columns as he made his way towards the attached presbytery where the sage's apprentices and the Temple's other attendants lived. Normally the local citizens weren't allowed in this section of the Temple. The presbytery was a sacred section reserved only for those who had taken their vows to the Temple and its Sage, but the Hero of Time was an exception.

"Link, I have been waiting for you." Link smiled warmly at Hestial, her teal eyes staring blankly at him as they always did, uninterested as she was with people and with the material world. Hestial preferred the immaterial, she preferred her beloved Light to all else. Except Magnolia's, for some reason she could not detach herself from the sweet-smelling blossom.

"Follow me to the Solace Chamber, there we can converse uninterrupted." Hestial made a motion with her hand, indicating Link to follow her, before turning and heading back in the direction she had come. Link followed her past the rooms of her fellow apprentices and servants of the Light, and he followed her past portraits and figures of the three sacred goddesses and etchings of the Triforce. Link ran his right hand over the bottom right corner of the images of the Triforce every chance he got; he did it unintentionally, he was simply drawn to it by destiny.

"In here," Hestial opened an ornate wooden door with a silver key, and moved aside to allow the Hero of Time to enter first. Once inside, Hestial closed the door firmly and sealed it shut with a large iron bolt. She then moved to a table that could barely be seen from the lack of light in the room. Link followed her and took the seat to her right, removing his sword and shield in order to sit properly.

"Yes now," Hestial sat upright and properly, trying her hardest to prevent herself from indulging in the comfort of the chairs, "Now the princess mentioned something about a spike in negative energy?"

"Yes, we both felt it yesterday afternoon and then again this morning." Link watched Hestial's eyes with his own, hoping that his words would trigger a reaction in the stoic woman, "It was a small surge the first time, like a sharp motion. But this morning—this morning it was much stronger, and it was accompanied by another emotional spike, fear." Link watched Hestial quietly, having said his piece. He waited for her to respond.

"Interesting." Link's spirit dropped slightly, _interesting? Really? That's all she had to say on the matter?_

Hestial turned away from him and moved a slender hand over her face. Link watched the muscles quiver a bit under her Gerudo- tanned skin, "A spike in negative energy can come from anywhere. It can be from the sufferings of the lowest skulltula to the highest nobleman. But for you and the princess to _both_ feel it, it must be from something much _stronger_."

Link felt his face drop a bit, he had been afraid of that. "So what exactly do you think could be strong enough to cause both of us to sense it?" Hestial returned her gaze to him, eyes just giving way to a twinge of concern, making them seem not so lifeless.

"The first time I believe what you felt was a dark presence entering our world. Though as of right now I cannot be certain of its identity. "Hestial gave Link just the slightest hints of panic, nothing that would be traceable in moments. "I will have to consult the great powers in order to learn the identity of this new enemy of Hyrule."

Link nodded, his fair-headed locks bouncing slightly under the curves of his green hat. If there was any chance that what they had felt offered some form of danger to the kingdom, then he wanted to know as soon as possible. He was willing and ready to vanquish it. "And the second time?"

Hestial gave Link a flash of distress. "The second time I fear that what you felt was that being increasing its power, by killing those misguided beings who summoned it from the darkness. A being like that, which can derive power from another's pain, suffering, and death is a being that will not be destroyed easily."

Link frowned a bit. "I see." But what he really wanted to say was, _Shit_.

"We must be vigilant now more than ever." Hestial stood from her seat, her traditional red hair swaying as she moved towards the door. "I fear this evil is only the beginning."

ooooooooooooo

Dark strode forward across the courtyard of the woman and her fellows former home. The house was an example of Hylain extravagance. The smooth walls were polished white stone, the pillars and inside banisters were white marble. The bathing room had been larger than most Kakariko houses, and covered in colorful tiles that Dark knew only to be of a foreign design. Dark had wasted no time enjoying the splendor of the home; Dark would have plenty of time for his selfish indulgences once his newly forming plan was complete.

Dark instead left the home in haste, after having taken the necessary preparations for a mortal journey across Hyrule. So it was now that Dark strode; his head was held high, eyes glinting in the daylight as if they had always been native to its glow. Dark's lips were in a full smirk, a mixture of pride and excitement making his airs seem lofty and selfish, of which he quite enjoyed. Dark felt like a prince, better yet, he felt like a _god_.

Dark looked down at the clothes he'd stolen. He fingered the fine artisanship of his new clothes proudly. The sleeveless outer tunic was a silken ebony color, and it almost shimmered in the sunlight. The inner tunic was full-sleeved, and he'd chosen a burning red that matched the exact same shade as his lifeless eyes. He wore black leggings and fine leather boots, and a black leather belt hugged his slender waist tightly. Across his back, his beloved dark replica was securely strapped. Had Dark any fear of bandits and robbers, he might have been inclined to a level of paranoia from this obvious display of wealth and prestige, as it was Dark feared nothing and no one.

Dark made his way past the blossoms and the exotic vegetation, his nose wrinkling in disgust at this total lack of common sense. Whoever these people had been, whether they had been royal, sages, or else very lucky business and farming entrepreneurs, they had been very wealthy. Heavy emphasis on the _had been_, now Dark was very wealthy. Dark made his way over to the stables, which looked like it could easily have housed all of Lon Lon Ranch. As Dark approached, he noticed people scurrying around the stable's sides.

"Ah," Dark thought, "Servants, I was beginning to wonder when I'd encounter some of those." Dark never slowed his pace; he merely strode more confidently as he moved closer. He saw the servants begin to take notice of him, and he could feel the quickened heartbeats as he neared. _Fear. Distrust. Uncertainty. Fear. Horror. Uncertainty. Nervousness. Doubt. Fear._ Dark smirked.

"Greetings all," Dark approached the gathering servants, his arms spread wide and his smirk in full swing. His eyes glinted, and his silvery hair reflected the sunlight into the faces of his growing audience. _There sure are a lot of them_. He thought as he watched them gather around him, a mixture of fear and curiosity drawing them nearer and nearer, like flies to a skulltulla-web. "I require a horse, a fast one, any recommendations?"

"Umm—" Dark turned his attention to a middle-aged man in a dark tunic, much like his own only not nearly as fine. "Well you see, we aren't _allowed_ to just lend the horses out without permission from our mistresses and masters." Dark raised an eyebrow, a little bit annoyed. The other servants all nodded their heads energetically, and he heard mumblings of "That's right," "Get in trouble," and "surely be whipped if we're caught."

Dark lowered his hands and moved closer to the man who'd spoken. The other servants all drew back, but the man stayed firmly in place, determination in his aging eyes. Although Dark could see his trembling, hear his heartbeat increasing in fear and panic. Dark's smirk widened.

"They whip you? How—quaint." Dark was leaning in very close to the man, his red eyes dancing with malice and mirth, his fingers wiggling at his sides, longing to crush the man's defiant neck. But he held off, this man was more useful alive, more useful if he could be petted and twisted into serving Dark. "I _don't believe_ in whipping _my_ servants." The man gulped. "_Especially_ my loyal ones, I believe in _rewarding _them."

The man blinked and Dark could feel his heartbeat quicken even more, Dark reached up with his right hand, fingers skimming the man's cheek, tasting his fear. "I would never whip someone as loyal as you, so loyal to his masters and mistresses, even now, while the slumber eternally." Dark felt the man's body stiffen, he felt every breath catch, but Dark had no real fear of these people. No, he had them hooked; now he began to reel.

Dark grasped the man's chin, his steely fingers digging into his fair Hylain skin, "You see, they thought they could control me as easily as they controlled you, but I am not so easily bought." Dark pulled away from the man, but he never let go of his chin, he held on, and he felt the man squirm a bit, could sense his desire to be released mounting. "I worried at first that having killed them I might encounter insurrection from their underlings, but I worry less now that I meet you." Dark moved his gaze to encompass all of the servants, his undeniable charm sweeping over them all like a lazy morning cloud.

"For you see, what they offered you was nothing but distrust and denial. The failed to trust you to stay within the house while they worked their foolish dark magic. They failed to inform you of what they intended to bring forth with their magic. But most importantly," and it was here that Dark's eyes glinted, exposing the devil that lingered beneath the more mortal surface of his body in this form, "they failed to inform you of what inexplicable danger I provide."

Dark listened for any signs of rebellion in the hearts of his captive audience. He didn't need any problems. If he had to kill some of the ones more likely to pose trouble, he would do so now before they caused him any stress. Dark returned to his gaze to the man who he still held tightly, his fingers having begun to prick skin, leaving a steady trickle of blood. Dark's own heart quickened, and he resisted the urge to increase the blood's steady flow.

The man had lost the ability to speak, but Dark could hear him pleading in his mind to be released. Feel pain sending little zings from his wound to his brain, feel his heart seeking to find some sort of comfort against all this negative emotion he had no way of controlling. Dark dropped him, eyes smoldering as his muscles again pulsated, new strength making them tighten as if for a fight.

"I will give you everything you desire; you can have this house, this land, and all the money you care to, so long as you do as I say." Dark clenched the fingers in his right hand, letting the tiny traces of blood on it spread over his palm. "Or else, I will eliminate you all in the way I did your former masters, what do you say?"

Each of the servants looked to the other, although Dark could already feel the darkness emitting from them. He could feel their hearts beginning to shift in the direction of evil, selfish desire beginning to pale their skin and darken their eyes. Although none of them would ever have skin as luminescent as Dark's, or hair as soft as feathery silver, nor eyes as lifeless and red. That was reserved for him alone.

Dark didn't wait for a response, instead he moved towards the stables again. The servants parted to let him pass, their heads lowered in respect to his every wish, his every whim, this dark hero who had saved them from their sufferings. Dark smirked the smirk only he could, his lips turned up unnoticeably slightly, now to locate a horse.


	4. Ch 4: Vivacity

Chapter 4: Vivacity

Dark felt his body tingling with feeling, actual feeling, as sensations he couldn't remember warred their way through his skin. Dark pulled sharply on the horse's reins and felt his body lurch sharply to the left. Dark held on tightly, loving the way the wind hit him as he practically flew across Hyrule Field. This was what he'd been missing, being able to feel the sensations he was so apt at stealing from others. Dark dug his heels into the horse's sides, and yanked the reins again, making the horse lurch and whinny as he forced it to turn abruptly in the opposite direction.

Dark mounted the next hill and spurred the horse forward. It's sleek dark-brown body felt a sense of pleasure as Dark forced it into a flat out run up towards the hill, something the horse hadn't done in ages. Dark dug his heels in as they hit the hill's top, and the horse bucked and whinnied proudly. Dark held the reins with one black gauntleted hand, his other proudly gripping nothing but air, before his body slammed forward into the horse's strong neck and they once again took off. Dark almost laughed, but he caught himself. Laughter was a positive thing, pleasant and full of goodness; he instead smirked his usual smirk and gave a haughty snicker.

Dark kept the horse moving in the direction of Hyrule Castle, he wanted to get there before the sun set. That way he could easily blend in with the crowds of people who visited the prosperous city every day. The horse began to ascend yet another of Hyrule Field's many rolling hills, when suddenly Dark felt a presence watching him. Dark slowed his horse as he hit the top of the hill, willing it to the right where Dark saw what appeared to be a large caravan making its way towards the Castle's outer wall. Dark's brow furrowed slightly as he squinted in an effort to see the details in the caravan's regalia.

As Dark watched; the caravan seemed to halt, and two riders broke away from what looked like a pavilion on bars. Dark could sense a presence within the pavilion-like carriage, but he couldn't see the person inside due to the luxurious curtains that layered its sides. Dark instead returned his attention to the two riders that had made their way from the caravan's train to him. Both riders wore white tunics and red sashes around their waists. They wore white pants and polished red brown boots, and their heads were wrapped up in some sort of cloth that kept their skin from burning in the sun. They almost looked like Sheikah, but not nearly as ragged. The two riders paused directly in front of him, their horses bucking a bit at the sight of his own horse, which whinnied dangerously, warning the two newcomers away from his new master.

"Good day to you lord," one of the riders said loudly, as he raised a hand in greeting. "May the sacred three goddesses of the land preserve you."

Dark's lips slightly downturned, the greeting left a sour taste in his mouth. But he replied with decorum fitting the station he had assumed, "Good day," he said, his voice silky and smooth, almost enticing, "May the sacred three goddesses of the land preserve _you_." The rider nodded in acknowledgement of his words. Dark inwardly cursed.

"We are traveling to the fair city of Hyrule, and my lord, the Prince Formus would like to request that you be his traveling companion." The man said it proudly and with a sense that it was more of a command than a request. Dark felt like gagging.

"You can tell your lord that I am happy to accompany him as I am heading towards Hyrule Castle as well to visit my brother." Dark gave them a smirk, "Although I was not aware that a Prince was in route to glorious Hyrule. What brings the young prince here?"

The rider puffed a bit in pride. Dark rolled his eyes. "He is a suitor for the great Princess Zelda, the ruler of glorious Hyrule."

"Ah," Dark thought, "Of course he is. That snobby princess is still unmarried, and what better jewel to possess then the prosperous Hyrule?"

"Shall we go then my lord?" The other rider asked. Dark gave him a regal nod and spurred his horse after them down the hill's grassy slope and right up to the pavilion's side. Dark slowed his horse as he approached and watched as the curtains parted to reveal a boy no older than fourteen inside. Dark smirked openly at him, _oh how that princess will whine over this latest suitor_.

"Hello." The boy spoke with a regal air that implied that he was a selfish and pampered prince, Dark returned his greeting with one of his charming looks. The young prince flinched slightly, and Dark felt the beginnings of different dark emotions run through him. "Oh, well aren't you—different looking."

"I get that a lot your majesty." Dark replied suavely, "But you should see my brother, like me in every way, except fairer." The young prince almost seemed to be blushing.

"Are you great acquaintances with the princess?" the boy said as he continued to watch Dark. The caravan began to move forward again, causing Dark to have to urge his horse forward steadily to keep his eyes even with the prince.

"I am. My brother and I have known her a great long time." Dark smirked at the boy, almost leaning in to the pavilion's depths as he searched the boy out, feeling the bits of fear and dark curiosity stirring within his small chest. Dark felt his muscles surge.

"Is it true that she is more beautiful than the goddesses themselves?" The young prince leaned towards Dark, his eyes widening in an interest that seemed almost full of longing and desire, Dark rewarded him with a look of pure charm, his subtle lips upturning in an enticing manner.

"She is indeed most beautiful your majesty. She can hardly utter a sound before a man swoons in her presence. All her people love and adore her for her wisdom and her mercy." Dark inwardly scowled. He hated praising that woman, even if it was only for his corrupting tricks. "She is the epitome of goodness, and I'm sure you'll find her to your liking." _You and every other male in the world of Light._

"I'm sure I will." The prince replied in an attempt to sound older and in control. But Dark knew better, he could sense the boy's uneasiness, sense his curiosity over Dark, sense his longing that buried itself just beneath his skin.

Dark reached over and grabbed the boy's hand. He felt little shudders zip up his skin, but he never removed his eyes from the boy's face. Dark felt the tension from the nearby guards but he smirked their apprehension away, eyes locked securely with the young prince's. Dark saw the faintest tint of red form over the boy's tender cheeks and nose; Dark squeezed tighter and the blush deepened.

"What are you—" Dark cut him off with a gentle shush, and he leaned in closer so that their faces were mere centimeters apart. Dark felt the boy's pace rise, his emotions whirling faster than Dark had time to read them, raging quickly from good to bad. _Fear. Longing. Curiosity. Distrust. Fear. Desire. Need. Heartbreak. Fear. Longing. Lust._

"I have a favor to ask of you." Dark almost whispered to him as the emotions in the air hit a fever pitch, making Dark's head pound with their uncontrollable raging. "I need you to tell everyone when you arrive to the Castle that I am your attendant, can you do that?"

"I c-can't—"

"I need you to tell everyone when you arrive to the castle that I'm your attendant, if you do it, I will reward you greatly." Dark smirked as the boy's eyes widened. He could sense all the thoughts that past behind those eyes, each one even more ludicrous then the last, Dark did not intend to grant him half the things he desired.

"B—but what about my men? They'll know I'm lying." The boy said worriedly, his hand squeezing Dark's back in panic. Dark moved away a bit and turned his head to look out at the caravan's populace, which by now were all around him, eyes confused and interested. They were all caught, more fish for the frying pan.

"I would not worry so much about them my prince," Dark purred. "I suspect they will attend our every wish."

The prince moved away from Dark and back into the pavilion's soft cushions. The caravan's populace dreamily returned to their work and the caravan once again took up its slow and steady trek towards the Castle's main gate. Dark sat up straight upon his horse, red eyes glittering with increasing excitement.


	5. Ch 5: Enter the Cult, Enter Crimodia

Chapter 5: Enter the Cult, Enter Crimodia

Debora was not afraid of anything, or of anyone; except her former mistress, she had feared her. So when Debora looked down on her mistress's body, the skin of her neck peeled back to reveal its inner workings, pale gold eyes wide in fear and understanding all at once; Debora smiled.

"This one's dead too." Debora spared a glance from beneath her sleek black mask to her fellow apprentice, Ewen, who was leaning over the body of his former master. Debora felt her lips upturn, could it be they were all dead?

"My mistress is dead too."

"As is mine."

"Great goddess! His throat's been cut."

"Mine's stomach's been sliced. How—unfortunate."

Debora walked over to the table in the middle of the room, the books of dark magic were open and all to the same page. Debora picked up one, her pale gold eyes skimming over the page's contents in interest. For while Debora knew that her mistress and her fellows were all dead, she wanted to know what it was that had done the deed. Debora would like to thank him, her or _it_.

Debora's eyes settled on one particular sentence that made her skin pale slightly, and her eyes shrink a bit in fear. But it couldn't, her mistress would never have been so foolish!

"Debora." Debora turned to see her fellow apprentice, Ewen, as he rubbed the exposed chin beneath his black mask distractedly.

"Yes?"

"Debora, with our masters dead—Debora, we're free." Ewen gave her a look, his pale gold eyes dancing with something darker than a mere will to be free, "But—"

"But we have other interests than our own freedom." Debora finished for him, slamming the book shut.

"Crimodia is very close to rising, as I'm sure you know. Whatever our masters' were; they were not weak. Whatever it is they summoned—it must have been very powerful." Ewen stated it with no real sense of emotion or care, as if he were merely commenting on the color of the curtains or the likelihood of rain.

"It was. Look for yourself." Debora replied in the same tone; she pointed one slender finger at one of the other open books on the table. "Now that _he_ is free to roam the world, being what he is, we must hasten our pace if we are to summon Crimodia before he is free to forge his own path."

"Great goddess! They summoned _him_? What dark horrors possessed them to summon him alone and unprotected?"

"Stupidity and pride Ewen." Debora moved away from the table, leaving Ewen to rifle through the contents in horror and dismay. "But we will not be nearly as foolish as our former masters; we will be much more exact and protect ourselves from the dark powers."

ooooooooooooooooo

_Come onto me for I am Darkness. I am a servant of the Reverse Triangle. I am a being of hate, a being of sin. I call you forth, great goddess! Return here onto me, return here onto your land! Take back what is rightfully yours!_

Debora, Ewen and their five fellow apprentices, _well master sages now_, formed the words as one. Their apprentice robes had been replaced with the ostentatious robes of the seven dark sages, their former masters.

_Come onto me for I am Darkness. I am a servant of the Reverse Triangle. I am a being of hate, a being of sin. I call you forth, great goddess! Return here onto me, return here onto your land! Take back what is rightfully yours!_

Debora and her fellows moved as one, slamming their fists forward towards the summoning circle they'd made. Their seven sacrifices, one for each of them for they were not willing to give themselves onto Crimodia as their masters had onto Dark.

_Come onto me for I am Darkness. I am a servant of the Reverse Triangle. I am a being of hate, a being of sin. I call you forth, great goddess! Return here onto me, return here onto your land! Take back what is rightfully yours!_

Their sacrifices writhed and screamed against their bonds as the dark energy surged through them. Debora felt her muscles tighten and she heard her fellows grind back as the waves of darkness blasted right through the first of their many protecting circles as if it had been nothing but Death Mountain dust.

_Come onto me for I am Darkness. I am a servant of the Reverse Triangle. I am a being of hate, a being of sin. I call you forth, great goddess! Return here onto me, return here onto your land! Take back what is rightfully yours!_

Debora watched, fear and distress working at her heart as she saw a being begin to crawl forth from the air as if it were ripping apart the very fabric of life itself. Debora gulped back her fear, but it was hard.

_Come onto me for I am Darkness. I am a servant of the Reverse Triangle. I am a being of hate, a being of sin. I call you forth, great goddess! Return here onto me, return here onto your land! Take back what is rightfully yours!_

The sacrifices tried hard to scurry away from the being, but they were shackled to the floor, and the being made no waste of them, devouring them whole. Debora felt her fear increase, it was as if she couldn't control her own feelings, her own thoughts. Debora heard her fellows begin to cry out; they were scared too.

_Come onto me for I am Darkness. I am a servant of the Reverse Triangle. I am a being of hate, a being of sin. I call you forth, great goddess! Return here onto me, return here onto your land! Take back what is rightfully yours!_

Now Debora saw the being look up. Its eyes were red and yet they were not. It was as if all the evil of the world stood there, and Debora couldn't understand nor could she not know. She felt like she had known this being her whole life, and yet she felt like she would never know it ever.

_Come onto me for I am Darkness. I am a servant of the Reverse Triangle. I am a being of hate, a being of sin. I call you forth, great goddess! Return here onto me, return here onto your land! Take back what is rightfully yours!_

Debora uttered the final summoning chant, seven chants for seven sages. All of them collapsed, their bodies wracking in fear and exhaustion. The being gave them a quiet smirk. Debora reached up, she wanted to speak, to welcome her great goddess with all the love and adoration she possessed within her to give.

The being instead waved its hand, and the last of the protecting circles blasted away as if they had been made of nothing more than dust. Debora's fright increased, and she drew back towards her fellows.

The being moved towards them out of the circle. It was speaking in some old tongue that Debora didn't recognize, all she heard was the beating of her own heart, and the beating of Ewen's. Debora hadn't realized that he had been so close to her.

The being moved closer, crossing the small distance of the dark chamber as if it were skating on ice. Debora spared a glance away from it to look at Ewen, and he looked at her. She watched his pale gold eyes dance tenderly and longingly behind his mask, and Debora knew hers were the same. Ewen grasped her left hand in his right, and squeezed it tightly.

The being reached out for the unlucky few that had been on the farthest reaches of their huddle. They screamed and clawed at the floor, trying desperately to prevent the inevitable; the being consumed them whole.

Debora knew then that she was going to die. She was going to become a martyr of sorts, dying for the very goddess that would kill her. And Debora had only regret left in her heart, fear not having left much room for much else. She would miss Ewen greatly.

oooooooooooooooo

Dark nearly fell off his horse; the spike in energy was large enough to make his body shake violently. Dark whipped his head around in the direction he'd come, red eyes demon-like as he strived to locate the source of the energy.

"My lord? Are you well?" Dark ignored the young prince. He had no time for his newest servant; his mind was preoccupied with locating the energy. Something that had been strong enough to knock him back must surely be something worth looking into.

Dark's eyes deepened as he unleashed the red of his inner demon; feeling his power double in an attempt to sense it. Dark felt another spike now, this one made him reel back again; this one, if it was possible, had been even _stronger_. It made Dark, for the first time in a _very_ long time, feel just the slightest traces of fear slink their way up his spine.

oooooooooooooooo

Link fell back out of his chair, his body shaking violently. _What was this power?_ This was even stronger than the last one had been; this was even _darker_.

"Link!" Link heard Zelda's voice over top of him as he felt his blue eyes dull in the darkness. He almost passed out into inevitable nothing, but he held on just enough to prevent a faint. The feeling of darkness was gone as suddenly as it had come. It was almost as if it was some sort of dark heat wave, it hit him and moved quickly past.

"What—what?" Link mumbled as he rubbed the back of his head.

Zelda helped him to his feet; senses of panic making her hands shake slightly. "I know. I felt it too."

"What was it?" Link brushed himself off and picked up the expensive chair he'd knocked over. Zelda shook her head distractedly.

"I am uncertain. But something tells me we will learn soon enough."

"But—" Link was cut off as a second wave hit them both, this one darker and stronger than the last one had been. This time both of them fell forward, grabbing at each other to stay standing.

Link looked outside the palace's high windows, blue eyes dancing in a mixture of fear and determination. Part of him wanted to say that what it was had been his Dark half, but part of him wanted that to be untrue.


	6. Ch 6: Hyrule Castle

Chapter 6: Hyrule Castle

Dark felt the surge of negative energy still sending little zips through his core. The feeling was almost intensified by this body; its mortal constitution incapable of withstanding such an influx. Dark shook his head, no way was he going to let this sudden force take away _his_ victory.

Dark reigned in his horse and rushed to catch up with the caravan as it rolled to a final stop just beyond the gate to Castle Town.

"Oy! You lot down there! The gates are closed to all travelers after nightfall. What business do you have here?" The sentry on the gate's tower yelled down angrily. Dark felt anger and frustration warring down on him as he moved closer to the front of the caravan.

Dark raised a hand in front of his face, now came one of his more difficult tricks. This one took a great amount of energy to complete, so Dark only half-masked himself. He doubted there was any real sort of intelligence (excluding the princess of course) within the Castle's walls. After all, the last time that Dark had been here, he'd nearly corrupted his way into the Hero of Light's body and taken over the castle with a considerable amount of ease.

Dark wiggled his gauntled fingers expertly, his mouth forming old words as he worked his spells. When Dark removed his hand, he'd expertly darkened his skin to the same lightly tanned shade of the prince and his fellows. His eyes were dark brown, almost black, but they still glittered and glinted with specks of his trademark red. Dark's hair darkened slightly, still carrying feathery silver, although he dulled it to a more mortal shade in its coloring. Dark smirked and moved his horse the rest of the way towards the gate.

"Greetings good sir." Dark spoke like the lofty servant of a nobleman, playing the part of prince's loyal attendant as if he'd been born to do it. "We apologize for our arrival at such a late hour, but we encountered some unforeseeable delays."

'That's just too bad for you then in't? The Castle's gate is closed after nightfall, so you'll just have to come back tomorrow." The guard yelled back nastily. Dark growled in his throat, his face contorting slightly. But he worked the look from his face, returning soon to his usual smirk of superiority.

"I'm afraid that's most impossible for you see—" Dark began to reply when the guard cut him off, making Dark fume.

"What I see is some no good dessert gypsy caravan clogging up my pathway after hours! So why don't you get your lazy selves out of here!"

"I warn you if you do not open this gate, you'll regret it." Dark's eyes flashed dangerously. Dark spoke quietly, his voice that perfect level that was loud enough to be heard but low enough to ring ominously in its tone.

"And who are you to threaten me?"

Dark threw back his head haughtily, every inch a being of unimaginable power. Dark felt the guard stiffen slightly, and Dark's muscles began to surge as fear swirled down from above.

"I am the guardian and first attendant of Prince Formus, the expected suitor of Princess Zelda." Dark let the blood red of his lifeless eyes flash through briefly, "So you better _let us in now_."

Dark barely had enough time to back his horse up before he heard the gate come reeling down faster than he was certain was safe. Dark moved aside and signaled for the caravan's head to move forward across the drawbridge. Dark watched, eyes gleaming triumphantly as some of the Hyrule Castle's guards began to escort the caravan through Castle Town and up towards the castle proper.

Dark didn't follow. Instead he lagged behind until he again became even with the Prince; acting for all eyes to see like a loyal and trusted servant. He even gave a loud and angry comment about the inhospitableness of these Hyrulains, making some of the Hyrule guards flinch with guilt.

Dark rode along until they reached the second gate, this one separating the actual castle of Hyrule from the lands included in its outer wall. Once inside this second gate, Dark began to feel his excitement mounting again. The force of energy he'd felt earlier had surely knocked him off his guard, but he would recover; he _always_ recovered.

Dark followed a castle servant that led him over to an unloading block where he smoothly swung free of his horse. The servant made to speak, but Dark ignored him and instead hurried over to the pavilion-carriage to help the boy-prince out.

'This is my attendant!" the prince cried happily when he saw Dark. Dark returned the idiotic and loud comment with an angry snarl. He felt suspicious and curious eyes on him; sensed the castle's attendants judging him up.

"Not here you moron!" Dark verbally reprimanded his servant before he straightened him up. He then grabbed his hand roughly and half-dragged him through the courtyard and up the whitewashed stone steps into the castle's main foyer.

"B—but, you told me that when we arrive at the castle I'm to tell everyone that I'm you're attendant. I did as you asked. Have I done well Master?" Dark sneered at the boy, making him tremble. He was glad they were alone, this boy's mouth would be Dark's undoing.

"No you _haven't_! You practically made it obvious that you were lying! Where's your sense? You have to act like a prince!" Dark turned towards a mirror and straightened himself up. He admired his new face, although he preferred the original.

"But! How am I to act as your servant when I must be a prince? How can I perform your every whim if I must act like _your_ master?" The prince said it worriedly, as if he did not possess the mental capabilities to figure out how to act both parts. Dark rolled his eyes; this boy was frustratingly dim.

"Then act like a prince when others are around and my servant when we're alone." Dark returned his attention to the boy, giving him a smirk; the boy's eyes lit up.

"I can do that Master."

"Good."

Dark turned his attention back to the staircase that led up and away from the foyer where they were standing. He took pleasure in the moment of silence; the boy's chattering was really starting to piss him off. A few of the castle's servants had gone to awaken the princess so that she could great the young suitor formally.

"Master, do you want me to repeat what you told me to say when they return?'

Dark rolled his eyes and pressed his now tan fingered to his temples, massaging them irritably. Did this boy _ever shut up_?

"Master?"

"Yes, do that. But in the meantime, _be quiet_."


	7. Ch 7: Unsheathed

Chapter 7: Unsheathed

"I am sorry that you were unable to join us for dinner your highness, you arrived much later than expected." Princess Zelda sat on her throne in the royal audience chamber, her guards and attendants around her. Across from her sat Prince Formus, his eyes seeming cold and glazed. Next to the Prince stood Dark, dark eyes almost glinting in triumph. Dark almost didn't follow the rince to the meeting, but it seemed that Zelda and the rest of the castle remained unaware of his presence. Dark had worked hard to bury his dark presence deep within this new body, hiding his scent to even one so in touch with the realm of light as Zelda.

"I apologize. There were some unforeseeable delays. But we are glad that you have welcomed us to your home so warmly, princess." If Dark had been anyone lesser, his jaw would have surely dropped at the utter change that he was witnessing in the young boy. How could that babbling moron speak so smoothly when he wasn't hounding Dark like some demented puppy?

Princess Zelda nodded her head regally in acknowledgment of the prince's words, rising as she did. "Your rooms are prepared my lord, if you wish to retire. If you are hungry I can have some food sent up to your chambers."

"I believe just bed for now, but make sure that my servants are fed." The prince replied diplomatically, rising with the princess. Zelda nodded again, taking her skirts up in her pristinely-gloved hands. She waited for the prince to follow and the two moved in the direction of the upper rooms, the ones Dark remembered were reserved for people of importance. Dark smirked.

Dark waited for the group to move towards the staircase, and he lagged behind. Dark pretended to be taking in the intricate details of the castle's walls; he pretended to observe the castle's many decorations, but really he was just trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and the royal entourage.

When Dark saw the group round the corner at the far side of the hall, beginning its long ascent up the great stairs; Dark quickly hastened back the way he'd come. Dark moved quickly and determinately in the direction of the palace's library. Now Dark wasn't usually one for reading, but Dark had one very nasty question assaulting his brain. What's more Dark, being a being of darkness himself, was normally in no fear of other beings of darkness, but that energy that had assaulted him struck him as familiar. Dark didn't like powers that were familiar, in particular dark ones.

Dark finally arrived at the library and he charmed his way in past the posted guard. Once inside, Dark headed straight to the back of the library, feeling an assault of emotions and sensations hit him as he moved down one familiar turn after another. Dark growled angrily, it had been a year since he'd been physically extracted from his rightful place nuzzled deep in the Hero of Time's brain, and yet, Dark still felt rage boiling beneath his skin.

Dark arrived at his destination at last. He yanked book after book on old magic from the shelves, his nimble fingers only pausing over the ones that made his insides burn with an overflow of negative energy. Dark took his stack to a nearby table and set about flipping through them as fast as possible. Dark could hear his own words wringing in his ears as he found the section he had been looking for in the fourth volume.

_Crimodia is not one to be trifled with by ones who do not know the forces in which they are messing._ Dark scowled, who had been foolish enough to think to unleash her? Dark was one thing, but that witch who thought herself a goddess? No, nothing but ill would come from this, for both the people of the light and the dark; Crimodia didn't draw battle lines. Dark feared what this battle would mean, more importantly he feared what it would mean for him _personally_. But Dark wasn't a fool. If it took _that_ in order to help him deal with Crimodia before he could be free to exact his own plans; then so be it.

"Excuse me?"

Dark jumped; he hadn't realized that someone had approached, having been so absorbed in his thoughts. Dark felt foolish, he shouldn't have let his guard down like that. Dark looked up to see— _oh shit_.

Link stood there in his formal attire. His eyes were flickering different shades of blue in the light of candles that kept the room from being consumed by the night's darkness. Dark looked away quickly, pressing his inner self as far down into this body's cover as he could manage. He may have needed to do _that_ in order to defeat Crimodia, but damn if he wouldn't do it his own way!

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"I am an attendant of Prince Formus, my name is of no great importance." Dark replied suavely, making the hero's eyes spark suspiciously. Dark inwardly frowned, could his little hero see through his disguise?

"Prince Formus is being escorted to his chambers by Princess Zelda, what are you doing here?" Link moved until he was standing a foot or so away from Dark. Dark slammed the book he'd been scanning shut and stood up quickly.

"I was just researching something. Your library is much more extensive than the one in my native country." Dark moved to replace the book that he'd been reading but the Hero caught his hand firmly. Dark looked up to see those blue eyes glinting, a mixture of anger and mirth making them glow all shades of blue.

"I'll bet. The Realm of Nothing isn't known too well for its libraries is it—Dark?"

Dark ripped his hand free, allowing his disguise to fade; he'd hated that annoying twit of a prince anyway. "I was hoping that you wouldn't be able to see through that disguise so quickly. But then," Dark leaned in to his light side, his lips dancing in a enticing smirk, "we are exceptional aren't we?"

"I knew you were coming. I felt the energy when you were released." Link shot back at him. Dark watched Link almost hungrily; he could sense the frustration, the fear, the beginnings of anger and determination building in his opposite's chest. It made Dark's blood pump in excitement.

"Did you now? Then I suppose you felt the other energy as well?" Dark pulled away from his light side, unlocking his eyes. He felt Link breathe easier, undoubtedly unaware he'd been transfixed by Dark's glittering eyes.

"You mean that wasn't you too?" Link spat at his dark side, and Dark felt the anger in his fairer twin skyrocket. Dark's smirk deepened.

"I would like to say that a force that powerful belonged to me _Hero_, but sadly, that is not the case." Dark turned back to face Link again, red eyes lifeless and swirling.

"But you know what it is that made that wave?" Link's voice still appeared determined and strong, but Dark sensed the thinnest tendrils of fear and uncertainty begin to twist their way around each syllable.

"I do, and I intend to blast her from all manner of time and space. Unfortunately, she isn't a being I can defeat alone." Dark turned and moved snakelike until he was very close to his light-haired half. Dark ran his slender fingers down Link's cheek, and he felt the Hero's heart race, 'That's where you come in, _my little Hero_."


	8. Ch 8: Unwanted Unions

Chapter 8: Unwanted Unions

Link sprung away from his Dark half, back flipping, and Dark dodged just in time to avoid receiving a foot in his face. Dark smirked as Link drew his blade halfway through his flip, bringing it up to meet Dark's Replica in a flash of steel. Dark gave a harsh laugh, and shoved power into his thrust, throwing Link off and making him stumble.

Dark swung, narrowly missing his fair-half's stomach by inches. Dark's smirk deepened.

"What's the problem _Hero_, are you not strong enough to defeat me?" Dark cried playing between charm and malice as Link swung back at him, making him back flip to avoid receiving a hit.

"I'll kill you here and now, for good!" Link swung again, and his sword hit the nearest shelf, sending books and scrolls flying. Dark laughed darkly again as he swung, the tone as full of madness and malice as was possible. Link blocked Dark's attack with his shield, and Dark gave him a glittering glare before he faded away. Link's eyes widened, as he looked frantically about himself for his dark side.

"Where—?" Link started, but Dark cut him off, his voice reverberating off the walls like arrows hitting a steel door.

"Poor little Hero, always trying to conquer his Dark." Dark cried; he sat upon the top of one of the selves, just out of the Hero's eyesight.

"Come out and fight me coward!" Link cried. He whipped himself around aimlessly, tying desperately to locate Dark in the mostly unlit room.

"Why would I want to fight my brother?" Dark whispered charmingly down at his light side, "How can you help me if you're dead?"

"You're the one who's dead!" Link spat back, anger making his Triforce piece shimmer.

"I thought that as a hero it was your duty to aid those in need," Dark smirked when he felt Link's breath catch. "Now here I am, asking you for help, and you're denying me because I happen to be of the darkness? How unfair hero, how unfair."

Dark leaned over backwards from the shelf's top, his red eyes glinting. He watched the hero upside down, saw the flickers of sweat dampen his brow and the bridge of his nose. Dark grinned wickedly.

"We could help each other." Dark whispered, he righted himself and inched slowly down the shelving, closing in on his prey like a panther. Link had long since stopped moving, and Dark watched him stiffen as he felt fear and determination battling in his opposite's chest. "I know what lies in your heart _Hero_. I know your desires. I could grant them for you, but first you need to help _me_."

Dark's soft leather shoes hit the ground with little noise, and he moved quietly until he was right behind his other half. Dark reached up, his fingers closing around Link's shoulder, pulling him in towards him; Dark felt his opposite freeze.

"What do you say _Hero_?"

"How about 'be gone demon of darkness'?" Dark whipped his head around, his dark spell shattering as he was knocked back against the shelf by a blast of light. Dark grunted.

"Link! Kill him! Hurry!" Dark shook the sting of the magic blast off, and just barely dodged a strike from the Master Sword. _Shit._

Dark moved back into the shadows. He peered out at the newcomers; it was Zelda and her sages. _Perfect_.

"I guess my disguises aren't as great as I think they are." Dark shouted out from the darkness haughtily. He watched them all search the stretches of darkness in the room, their magical eyes looking for his glint in the shades.

"Not nearly," Princess Zelda responded regally, her voice only half-hiding her hatred. "I only pretended to not see you Dark, I had to gather the sages to free the prince and his men from your grasp. You'll trouble that boy no longer!" Dark smirked and rolled his red eyes.

"That boy was more trouble to me! I thank you for releasing him; I was this close to ripping his head off."

"Why have you returned?" This statement came from the woman next to Zelda who Dark recognized as the one who had helped her seal him in the mirror. Dark's eyes flashed angrily.

"I returned to exact my vengeance. Unfortunately, there is a greater evil coming that will harbor doom for both you and me. So now it seems I must ask for your assistance instead of your lives."

Dark dropped down and made himself visible, the sudden appearance making the air crack like a whip. The sages and the Hero jumped back from him, preparing for his attack. But Dark held up his hands non-combatively, "I do not wish to fight you for now. As much as it pains me to admit it, I need your help or else my beautiful kingdom will be destroyed before I get to steal it."

ooooooooooooooooo

"What _is_ she then? Crimodia?" Link sized up his Dark half; distrust, displeasure and necessity warring within him. He leaned against the side of the wall of the now well-lit audience chamber. Link didn't try to hide his contempt. While he had seen easily through his Dark side's disguise, he had found himself once again at the mercy of that unwitting charm, and he felt the tiny bits of anger zip all around him like lightning sparks.

Dark peered out from the room's glass windows distractedly; his eyes seemed to be fixed on some far off part of Hyrule, where exactly was uncertain to all but him. The powers of darkness had steadily been growing over the course of the last four hours, making his insides tie themselves into knots. He could feel Crimodia's presence reaching out, extending itself like a black arm over Hyrule. Dark could hear her call in his head. She was crying out to her forces, any forces that had ever been repressed or restricted by the light. Dark found it hard to drown her out, although his current location kept him close enough to the powers of light, deafening the call enough for him to stay sane.

The sages of Light and their leader, Princess Zelda, sat or stood across from Dark; the line blatantly drawn between the heroes of light and this being of dark. The princess and the sage's apprentice, who had introduced herself as Hestial, had not wasted anytime in surmounting their forces. Once Dark had explained the reasoning behind their partnership, Hestial had reluctantly had to agree with him, urging the others to consider at least a temporary deal.

Dark had abandoned his disguise, there was no need to waste energy keeping up a ploy when he had already been discovered; instead he stood there in all his dark glory, his skin and hair reflecting the light in the room away from his body, his eyes deep red pools once more.

"She was a mortal once, same as me." Dark answered his light side, his eyes still focused and far off. "A mortal who wished for power beyond what it was hers to have." Dark said it quietly, his usual charm feeling a bit depleted. He had thought that his killing the seven dark sages that had summoned him would mean that he would be free of her, but it seems that that was not the case. Now, with no one else to help him fight off her presence, he was forced to turn to his Light side and the sages of Light. Dark inwardly scowled.

"She wished too hard it seems. Wished so hard that the darkness in the world began to work its way into her, curving her into something that was not exactly mortal nor exactly immortal. She became a being corrupted by desires and selfish impulses, and she lost touch with the world." Dark looked up at Link and Zelda as they stood watching him and he could feel their distrust; feel their unwillingness to understand his words, Dark's eyes glittered.

"I know what you're all thinking." Dark replied, his malice ill-disguised, "You're thinking that she sounds a lot like _me_. But that's not the case, you can be assured that she is far worse than me. I merely exist to serve a purpose, to be the other half to _your dear hero_," Dark indicated Link with one silvery hand, "but she carries no balance to tie her to this world. She possesses no reason to exist outside of her own desire to rip life and light apart." Dark gave his light side a direct look. His eyes gleaming, darkening and lightening as they always did. Link returned the gaze, and Dark could feel the hatred and disgust bubbling beneath his Light's surface.

"If she exists only to destroy the Light, then why are you so keen on destroying her?" Hestial's voice rang out ardently and Dark gave her a look full of anger and unbridled malevolence. Hestial matched his gaze, but he saw her trembling. Dark smirked.

"She is no friend of mine." Dark replied nonchalantly. "What? Do you think all of us dark beings simply get along and decide to be friends like you beings of light do? That's a naïve thought." Dark crossed his arms and laughed harshly at his own comment, his voice seeming even harsher in the nearly silent room.

"But you were more than willing to unite with Ganon when he attempted to take over Hyrule. Why is this Crimodia so different?" Zelda's voice echoed regally against the sounds of Dark's laughter. Dark shook his head, a flash of anger in his eyes at the mere mention of his former master's name.

"I _never agreed_ to join that man." Dark said, pointing one long steely finger at the princess angrily, "I was _bound to him_. Do you realize what that means?"

"It means he did to you what you do to everyone and anyone who gets in your selfish way!" Link snarled at his negative side, heroic blue eyes flashing. "If you ask me you got what you deserved Dark!"

"Don't you get all high and mighty with me you goddess loving goody-goody! I happen to know for a fact that you are more than capable of doing exactly what I do, and what's worse, _you enjoyed it_."

Link's eyes flashed again and Dark saw a twinge of fear and embarrassment color his cheeks slightly as the others in the room watched the two verbally clash. "Do not loop me in the same circle as you—you, you sadistic skulltulla!"

"I'm not_ sadistic_; I'm practical."

"You're a selfish, tricky, underhanded piece of—"

"Finish that sentence and I'll use my replica to cut out your tongue."

"Just try it Dark!"

"_ENOUGH_!" Zelda's voice cut through the room like a crack of thunder in a closet. Dark and Link turned from each other; both were frozen with their hands on their respective blades, fingers itching to strike. "_Really, y_ou two are such_ children_!" Dark scowled at the princess; Link looked sheepish.

"Is this really the time for us to be fighting? We have much more important items to attend to, and Link you should know better." Zelda gave Link a look that was reminiscent of a mother reprimanding her child. Link hung his head, embarrassed. Dark rolled his eyes, _what a complete moron_.

"As much as it pains me as a servant of the light," Zelda said as she stood, the other six sages rising with her, "We must place our own feelings aside in favor of the good of Hyrule. If it means that we must enlist the help of this demonic shadow, then so be it."

Dark grinded his teeth; offended. "I'm just _so sorry_." He responded; dark sarcasm making his words hit the others like sappy acid, "It must be such a lowering to enlist _my_ help, when you are so _obviously_ brilliant at sealing beings of darkness away so _successfully_." Dark smirked when he saw them all flinch. But Dark had yet to finish exacting his anger and frustration on them.

"You all just think you're _so grand_, so utterly good and _perfect_." Dark leaned back against the wall behind him. Closing his eyes as if just looking at them made his blood boil up, "But as far as I can tell, every time you lot manage to seal a being of darkness in that soulless Realm of Nothing, they just come crawling back."

Dark opened one eye, sizing them all up, as if he were a teacher reprimanding his class, "I think then that in the manner of all things considered, while you all may be the _great heroes of light_; I am the one who knows best how to truly seal a being of darkness. That said, I think that you should be _welcoming _my help, not _settling_ for it." Dark ended this last statement with a sound like a wolfish growl.

Zelda sighed and nodded her head. "I can never admit to being in accordance with a being of darkness," she began regally, Dark sighed and rolled his eyes. "However, perhaps I was a bit hasty in my words. This is not about my own feelings towards you, no matter how negative they may be. This Crimodia's power is indeed strong, I can sense just how strong, and I agree that our powers will not be enough to contain her."

Dark frowned. "That has got to be just about the worst apology I've heard in my entire existence."

"Take it or leave it Dark." Zelda replied smoothly. Dark scrunched up his face angrily.

"Fine. There's just one more person I need something from." Dark turned his gaze from the princess to his light side; that same hungry look making his red eyes dance. He saw his light side's eyes flash. "I want the Hero of Time to ask for my help."

"Why you little—!" Link began to say but Zelda cut him off.

"Link owes you nothing Dark, leave him be."

"All it takes is a few words, unless you are all certain you can win alone. Then go ahead and seal me back up; I'm sure Crimodia won't think to let me out again. Let me out so I can be free to wreak havoc and chaos over Hyrule. No, go ahead and deny me if you are so certain of your strength." Dark shrugged nonchalantly, as if he were merely talking about who would win the next tournament.

Zelda sighed. "Link could you just?" Link gave her a look of anger and dismay.

"No I will not! Zelda! Why do I have to do it?" Link was practically jumping out of his skin in embarrassment and anger. Dark snickered behind his hand at the sight.

"Because you are the Hero of Time Link, and he is a selfish, spoiled little child in a man's body."

"Hey!" Dark cried out angrily but his comment was ignored.

"I won't do it!"

"You will, because I command you." Zelda gave Link a look that said _I'm sorry_, but her tone said _do it_. Link scowled at the floor.

Dark watched, a smirk making his lips upturn in dark pleasure as Link stalked up to him defiantly. "Well?" he said just to make the Hero's body flinch angrily one more time. Dark almost laughed, but he controlled himself.

"I want you to help us defeat this great evil." Link mumbled it almost inaudibly. Dark turned his head and cupped his ear with one silvery hand, feigning deafness.

"I'm sorry, what was that you said?" Link flinched again.

"I _want _you to help us defeat this great evil."

"Who wants what?"

"_I want you to help us defeat this great evil_." Link glared at him, practically shouting the question into his face. Dark smirked.

"Well, you didn't have to _shout_." Dark watched Link grind his teeth in frustration.

"Why are you so _irritating_?"

"Why are you so easily fazed?"

"Are we done here?" Zelda cut the two off again, frustration seeping into her royally cool tones. "Because I think we might want to start coming up with a plan to battle this thing before it rips the ground right from beneath our feet." Dark smirked and patted his light side tenderly on the head, making Link snarl a bit.

"For now I suppose." He responded charmingly. "We'll work on the Hero's manners later when I'm king of all Hyrule." Dark said. Dark wasn't sure yet how this battle would turn out, but it was worth it to say it just to feel the anger and frustration in the room spike.


	9. Ch 9: The Hero and His Villain

Chapter 9: The Hero and His Villain

Crimodia was not a goddess. She had never been one, nor would she ever become one. Crimodia was not immortal. She could never be immortal, but neither could she ever again be mortal. She was and always would be, caught somewhere in between two planes of existence.

Crimodia was the mirror of nothing and no one. She existed merely to exist. She wanted merely to want. She could not desire for the sake of any reason, for she was a being that existed outside of reason.

Crimodia was not like Dark. She wished to be like him. She wished for that existence he alone possessed, an existence somewhat closer to life than her own did. If Crimodia was capable of feeling jealousy, then she might have been jealous of the silver demon with the glittering red eyes, but that would have required reason.

Dark did not fear Crimodia as he had feared Ganon. He hadn't ever really feared Ganon. He did not truly fear anyone. No, what Dark feared was what Crimodia represented. She represented a world without Light.

Dark didn't care much for the Light. To him, the beings of light were mere toys to play with and to discard. But Dark was not a fool. Dark knew the ways of the world, having been a part of it for what felt like time eternal. He knew the importance of the balance between light and dark.

Dark had been motal once. He had been a man once, before he split, becoming the other half of the Hero. Dark had never volunteered himself for darkness. He had never prostituted himself before the great powers of darkness in the world as Crimodia had done. No, Dark had been chosen, for how could he not be?

Dark's current existence was a result of nature's necessity. The Hero of Time was goodness and light incarnate, and Dark was not. It was that simple. When the Hero of Time rose, Dark would stir, coming to show the Hero what his other face looked like, what his failure looked like.

Dark knew better than to want anything more than what the die of fate had given him. He knew better than to believe he would ever be anything but a shadow of a true man, a shadow of a Hero.

But Dark was not Crimodia. Dark had desires and reasoning. Dark had wishes and dreams like any other being, of either light or dark. Dark was the Hero's villain, and as such he was forever tied to the light.

Dark knew that a world without all light was an impossibility. It was an abominable existence that would inwardly consume itself until there would be nothing left. Darkness cannot exist without Light, and Light needs Darkness to define itself. The two were eternally linked.

Dark then, needed the Hero of Time as much as the Hero needed him; they were each other's definition. As a result, Dark also needed the realm of light, even if he wasn't himself a part of it. He needed it to continue so that he could continue being what he was, what he would always be: the Hero's shadow.

But Dark wanted one thing in his twisted heart. He wanted one thing more than he wanted power. He wanted one thing more than he wanted freedom. He wanted this one thing more even than he wanted the Hero of Time and all of Hyrule to bow down before him. No, Dark wanted a body; he wanted a body like the one the Hero of Time had, a body that was all his.

It was his one desire. It was his last shred of humanity holding him affixed to the light in which he once strode so proudly. It was his one weakness and Crimodia knew Dark well enough to exploit it.

oooooooooooooooooooo

"I said to the _left_, _Damnit_! Listen to me when my lips are moving!" Dark snarled at the Sage of Fire's apprentice making the man whimper in fright. Dark frowned irritably and pressed his slender fingers to the bridge of his nose, rubbing his frustration away as much as possible. _These people were moronic and useless_.

"I—I apologize my lord Dark Link." The sage's apprentice bowed shakily and quickly moved the pole he'd been placing to the spot Dark pointed out for him.

"Maybe if you didn't shake so violently your ears wouldn't miss every other word." Dark replied nastily, making the sage's apprentice shake even more.

"I—that is you—I mean not that I—" Dark rolled his eyes as the apprentice fished desperately fo an excuse.

"You're very lucky that I don't have the time to punish you, otherwise all that stumbling from your lips would be cries of pain." Dark leaned in, making the apprentice freeze. The apprentice's eyes were wide with a mixture of fear and dismay, and Dark felt his muscles surge with more energy. Dark decided to up the emotions that were already swirling with a dark grin. "When I'm king, I'll make sure you aren't even important enough to build Hyrule Field-houses out of Dodongo dung." The apprentice gulped.

"Terrorizing the innocent apprentices again Dark?"

Dark smirked wickedly and broke his connection with the apprentice, sensing the emotions shift and settle. Dark turned to see Link standing there in his Hero's attire. He looked like he was ready to take on all of Crimodia's dark army by himself; it made Dark's battle-lust surge and his arm muscles tighten in anticipation.

"Well if it isn't the Hero of Time! Hyrule's ardent savior! The defender of Light and life! The eternal thorn in my side." Dark yelled back, his arms extended in a manner that would imply a boast or the welcoming of a long off friend. It just made Link cross his arms and raise an eyebrow irritably.

"And if it isn't _Dark Link_! Hyrule's number one criminal! The master of selfishness and shadows! The eternal thorn in Hyrule's side." Dark glared at Link, arms crossed in a disgruntled mimic of his other half.

"You know that really huts my feelings."

"I'm so glad."

"Seriously Hero, it's been a year since I was prancing about in your head, you should really grow up already." Dark said it as if he was talking to a child, and he rolled his eyes and tossed his head arrogantly. Link's temper flared at the mention of weakness.

"Don't you even try and bring that up! I can prove to you right here and now it'll never happen again." Dark's gaze flicked amusedly to his seething other half.

"Is that so?"

"You bet that smarmy grin of yours!"

Dark turned his attention from Link to the transfixed apprentice. "Beat it, _now_." The apprentice bowed hurriedly and vacated the courtyard as fast as he could in his obnoxious robes.

"Alright." Dark's eyes glinted as he returned his attention to his light side. The air thickened. Dark uncrossed his arms and began striding towards Link. He watched him reach for his Master Sword, but Dark knocked that thought from his head with a wag of his silvery finger. "Nuh-uh." He whispered, "You won't be needing that."

"I—won't?" his light side was battling. Dark was aware of the emotions shifting sideways, backways, and all over. _Anger. Fear. Frustration. Determination. Fear. Anger. Desire to Win. Frustration. Battle-Rage. Anger._

"You know _Hero_, there's something I don't get about you." Dark slinked closer, moving as if he were made of mist. Link's eyes tried to appear defiant, but Dark could feel the hero's power draining.

"What's that Dark?" Link replied, his voice beginning to hum somewhere between captivation and courageous defiance. Dark smirked as he slid closer.

"You're always going on about how you want to kill me. But did you ever stop to think how _detrimental_ that would be? How _utterly boring_ that would be? Were I not around to torment you."

Link's Triforce piece shimmered, renewing his battle strength. But Dark just smirked and let his soulless eyes darken, quickly suppressing the resurgence as if it were nothing more than a candle he had to blow out.

"I'd never miss you—you shadow!" Dark flinched a bit at that comment, he hated when people referred to him simply as a shadow. He was so much more than that.

"I'm _a _shadow yes," Dark said, through sharply, "but I'm _you're_ shadow." Dark had moved almost close enough to touch his light side, Link having long since become rooted to the spot. "And do you really think that anyone in this realm of light would ever care for a spark like yours, were there no darkness to make it shine?"

Dark felt uncertianity throw itself into the already dozens of emotions that were whipping about the Hero's head as Dark worked his corruptive magic. Dark smirked again.

"Do you think _Hero_, that were there no dark left in this world to fight, that there would be a need for _you_?"

Dark brushed his other half's cheek, silvery fingers colder than death absorbing the warmth of his eternal twin's skin. Dark felt a flash of jealousy hit him, but he dismissed it smoothly.

"Because I don't, _Hero_." Link looked at him with dead blue eyes, and Dark knew he had won. It was so easy for him to corrupt his other half so long as his other half wasn't whipping that Master Sword around and swinging at everything that moved. Dark knew better than anyone what lied in the hearts of beings, both dark and light. And Dark knew most what lied in the heart of his light side, because they were the same, eternally bound together.

Dark leaned in and poked the Hero on the nose, letting his spell drop. Dark smirked in dark glee. "You lost, _Hero_." Dark's smirk deepened as he watched his light side spring back, a flush of embarrassment and dismay making him fluster like a child.

Dark leaned back away from the Hero and gave a harsh laugh, a sound mixing malice and mirth as he walked away from the flustered Hero of Time. Dark made his way back towards the castle, his stomach telling him it was time for lunch, "Mortal bodies are so limited," he said causally to Link as the Hero of Time chased him shouting obscenities at his back.

"I'm gonna _kill you_ Dark!"

"Yeah, yeah, can you wait until after lunch?"


	10. Ch 10: Whispers and Offerings

Chapter 10: Whispers and Offerings

"So how is the sealing circle going? I can feel Crimodia's strength amassing, we have little time." Zelda asked Dark; her head turned regally to him as they all sat at one of Hyrule Castle's many long dining tables. The table was piled high with food of various sorts, much to the pleasure of the Hero's dark side. The apprentices all occupied one side of the table, and Zelda and Link occupied its two ends. Dark sat with the sages on the final side, closest to the Hero of Time, an arrangement that made the Hero sulk.

"Perfectly _princess,_" Dark cooed as he broke his third loaf of bread in half with his nimble fingers. "If these annoying nitwits," he indicated the sages' apprentices, "don't mess up my design anymore we should be finished by this evening."

"Our apprentices are not _nitwits_."

"The apprentices are not _nitwits_."

Dark smirked in wicked mirth and ate a chunk of bread as the whole table minus the apprentices reacted to his comment.

"Doubtful," Dark responded with an eye roll, "the Fire sage's apprentice wasn't aware of what the term 'to the left' meant. Had I not been watching we might have built an ice weapon instead of a sealing circle."

"Maybe he was just afraid you might _eat him_." Link responded as he leaned sideways, one eyebrow raised in a mix between sarcasm and disapproval. Dark scowled at his light side before shoveling more food in his mouth. He swallowed it all down with a generous gulp of wine before responding.

"I'm a growing boy. I need my energy."

"I thought you didn't need food for energy; I thought you fed off emotions."

"For your information I don't _need_ food, I happen to _like_ food."

"So you're eating just because you can."

"I'm eating because I want to, and food is something that this mortal body I borrowed requires."

"_Still_, you don't need to shovel it in your mouth like a starving pig. It's _dead _Dark; it's not going to run away." Dark gave him a look that said _Well haha, aren't we so smart?_ Link lowered his eyes dangerously.

"You don't know that. When Ganon owned this castle some of the food that was _supposedly_ dead still _moved_."

"Maybe it was just instinct. You can't blame it for wanting to get as far away as possible from _you_."

"Why's that? It's not like it was a goddess-loving goody-goody pain in the—"

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence!"

"What are you going to do about it _Mr. Hero_?"

"I'm going to wipe that smug grin right off your shadows-demented f—"

"_Dark_!" Zelda's voice interjected sharply, an attempt by the wielder of wisdom to prevent the argument from coming to blows, "Are you certain you will finish by nightfall?"

Dark gave the princess one of his most charming grins, making her scowl slightly. "I am certain, although one sealing circle is only strong enough to contain one being of darkness."

"So I _can't_ shove _you_ in it then?" Link snapped, earning himself a self-satisfied smirk from his negative side as a result.

"No, you can't. This circle is to be used only to seal Crimodia, and for _no other reason_." Dark punctuated this statement with a serious look at the entire table. "You are to lure her into the circle, and use your light powers to seal her away. Once you've sealed her you must _never open the circle again_. Do you understand? Not even to seal another being of darkness, _never_ means _never_."

"I thought the circle was meant to be powerful enough to contain her indefinitely? If one can simply open it back up, how is it stronger than any sealing magic we've used before?" The sage of Forest, better known as Saria piped up from her seat two down from Zelda. The other sages mumbled in agreement before turning to look at Dark, who'd just finished devouring another helping of grilled cucco. Dark rolled his eyes and put down his fork.

"The sealing magic is tied. Only seven sages of light will be able to free her once she's sealed within the circle I've created."

"So she will be bound so long as light exists?" Zelda replied evenly to Dark, who gave her a nod as he piled his fourth plate with potatoes and carrots.

"Indeed. So long as there is light to keep the circle bound, it cannot be reopened except by you. This means that no annoying sages of darkness should be capable of breaking Crimodia out ever again, provided we manage to succeed in sealing her that is."

Zelda nodded her head. "Excellent, well then we should now concentrate our thoughts on how best to lure her to us, and on how best to defeat her army."

The other sages nodded and exchanged words of agreement. Dark stuffed more food in his mouth to keep from making a gagging noise at all of this affability.

"Link." Zelda turned her attention to the Hero of Time, whose blue eyes sparked happily at her voice, "We must hasten our pace. Tell me, have you managed to amass your forces?"

"The army of light is ready princess. It contains warriors from all the tribes of Hyrule; we will banish this evil with little effort."

Dark put down his fork on his empty plate and rested his wintery chin on one steely hand, a disbelieving smirk making his lips upturn unnoticeably slightly.

"Yes, make sure you actually succeed in banishing them _all_ this time _Hero_." Link gave him a sharp glare.

"I'm quite capable of defeating the enemies of light, _thank you_."

"_Right_, because that's why they're all still hanging around."

"What do you know Dark? You think you can beat them?" Link spat back making Dark's smirk deepen.

"Of course, I am quite capable of waving my Dark Replica around and shouting 'Hyaa' and 'Toyaa' every time it hits something."

"That's not all I do!"

"That's all you seem to be successful at."

"At least I wasn't sealed away in a mirror."

"At least I don't need my girlfriend to help me face my nightmares." Link flinched, slight embarrassment tainting his fair Hylain skin.

"I can handle you on my own." He said quietly, eyes narrowed in anger.

"I think we've more than proven you can't." Dark replied darkly, his red eyes glinting. Dark broke off Link's glower and switched his attention to Zelda. "So princess, what's for dessert?"

ooooooooooooooooooooo

Dark was jarred awake by the sensation that he was being watched. It made his steely skin crawl and his red eyes glitter. Dark felt that he was not only being watched, but he was being watched by a very dark presence, a very familiar one.

"Crimodia." He whispered maliciously. There was no half mirth in that word; he felt not even the slightest sliver of good emotion towards that woman. Hate made his mortal skin splinter, leaving cracks underneath, where darkness pulsated.

Dark sat up as he heard Crimodia's voice slither in and out of the darkness of the chamber Zelda had granted him. Her laugh was harsh and emotionless all at once, it was not so much a laugh as it was a sound, just like her words.

"What does one being of darkness say to another? Hello and greetings seems so, _mortal_."

Dark's lip curled in a mixture between anger and burning spite, "Don't make fun of me Crimodia. I am more than you will ever be."

"You are nothing. I am nothing. Nothing cannot outdo nothing, it can only clash endlessly." Her voice felt close to his ear, and Dark could have sworn he felt her touch his arm with her misty fingers, but he refused to give her any sort of satisfaction. He sat still, arrogantly staring straight ahead of him at the far off door. His lack of reaction made her dissipate back into the shadows.

"I am not nothing, which is why you're here." Dark replied as evenly as he could, trying hard to keep his emotions in check. He did not want to give her any sort of power over him if he could help it.

"I came to offer you a solution to your problem. But you knew that."

"I don't need any help from one such as you, be gone." Dark reached behind him, his fingers gripping dark air, until he felt the hilt of his Replica solidify in their grasp.

"No sword of darkness can strike me down." Dark flinched, unable to fight off her corrupting tones completely. Dark's eyes darkened and he felt his energy surge up; Crimodia backed away again.

"I know that. I mean only to send you back to whatever pit you are using as a shelter during the daylight."

"There was a time not too distantly past when you too could not blink in the daylight."

"The funny thing about the past? It's called the past for a reason."

"Fine." Crimodia slunk forward, for she never really moved anymore. She didn't really have legs, she didn't really have any form that could easily be called a_ form_. "If you are so sure that these heroes of light will give you what you want, I'll go."

Dark snarled at her retreating back. "Whether or not they give it to me is not my concern. I will have what I want even if I have to rip the Hero's heart from his still breathing chest."

Crimodia gave another laugh that was not really a laugh, "You are so evil Dark. I love it."

"You love nothing."

"Nor do you, but you still wish too." Dark had to admit that she was right about that, but he tried not to let it show.

"You were going to offer me a body weren't you?"

"What does it matter, you've already made your choice. I cannot exactly drag you from that bed back with me. I'm not even truly here myself. I could only enter this castle by sliding out from those soulless red eyes of yours; otherwise I'd still be back with my army, marching here."

Dark looked down, he felt a bit fuzzy. He knew why of course, the close proximity of a being so wicked was tantalizing even to one such as him.

"Have you changed your mind?"

"No."

"I didn't have high hopes for you anyway. You're so weak, tied to that obnoxious light brat, it really is unfortunate." Dark almost heard dark mirth enter her dead tones, but that would have been impossible. "I'm going to have to kill you. Pity, what a total waste of your talents."

Dark's head shot up and he leaped forward, blade drawn. He swiped at every speck of darkness he could find, Crimodia's dark laugh echoing in his ears, the very words he'd uttered to the Hero of Time not a year ago making them ring.


	11. Ch 11: To Twist and Torment

Chapter 11: To Twist and Torment

Dark woke when he felt a slight blade of light warm the steely skin of his hand. Dark scrunched his eyes and turned his head, trying desperately to avoid the inevitable dawn. Dark grimaced slightly, he felt rather sore, like he'd been sleeping on stone.

"Do you think he's dead?" Dark flinched. _No. Please, no_.

"I sure hope so." Dark groaned, _oh why?_

Dark slowly opened one red eye to see a small blue face leaning into him. The face reeled back and zipped out of sight as he glared sleepily at it.

"He's awake! He's awake!" Dark grimaced again, that annoying pitch could only belong to one particular being, one very _small_ and _annoying_ being.

"Link! Hey are you listening? Link!" Dark covered his exposed ear with his arm and growled.

"Go away, both of you." He growled as he rolled onto his back, one red robbed arm covering his eyes, "I'm trying to sleep."

"Dark, it's nearly noon, you need to prepare yourself for battle. What if Crimodia arrives today? You have to be ready." Link spat down at him, obviously enjoying the fact that he'd been the one to rouse the grumpy shadow from his rest. Link gave him a swift kick in the side, making Dark roll and gasp, clutching the offended flesh. "Get up already!"

Dark snarled and leaped to his feet. He grabbed the Hero by his throat and drew his Replica, bringing it up to the Hero's cheek angrily. "I said, _go away_." Link glared back at him, his Triforce piece shimmered brightly and he pried Dark's fingers loose from his neck, bending his hand back, making Dark cry out.

Dark jumped back, sword out and ready. Link drew his own blade, Navi zipping around his head.

"Get him Link! Get him!" she cried, ever the one woman cheerleading squad. Dark rolled his eyes at the annoying fairy and instead swung his blade in two fluid one-handed motions in front of him, showing off his strength.

"Dark! I am sick of you! You want me to prove I can beat you? Here it is!" Link rushed his dark twin, barely giving Dark enough time to block. Dark struggled under this increased strength from his fairer half, and leaned back, rolling away from Link's continued blow. Dark straightened and rushed Link, quickly exchanging their positions. Now Link struggled, and Dark leaned into the blow, red eyes glittering in a desire to taste the thrill of blood on his blade.

But Link mimicked his dark side, and rolled and dodged Dark's blow. Dark cursed silently, and felt something hard hit him across the face. Dark was flung back, and he skidded across the floor a bit, his Replica sent flying into the wall. Dark cursed loudly and pounded the floor with two silver fists. _What a cheap shot!_

"Hah!" Link mocked his other half; his Master Sword aimed directly at Dark's slender nose. "Seems you lost this round Dark." Dark ground his teeth angrily. He peered up the length of the Hero's blade until his red eyes were locked with the Hero's fiery blue ones. Dark frowned, and then finally he shrugged casually.

"I suppose you did. Of course physical prowess isn't everything." Link's temper flared and he poked Dark's cheek with the Master Sword, making Dark grimace as he felt the sharp pain of the sword's goodness touch his skin.

"What's your _problem_? Can't you just admit that _I won_?"

Dark lazily looked up at him through half-lidded eyes, he even feigned a yawn. "I'd admit that you beat me, except you hit me in the face with your shield, so I don't think this counts."

Link huffed and withdrew his blade, allowing Dark to pull himself to his feet. "It's a perfectly legitimate tactic." He said as he re-strapped his shield to his back and moved towards the door.

Dark meanwhile had thrown his ebony black outer tunic over himself, binding it tight to his slender waist with his black leather belt. He slipped into his soft black leather boots and moved over to the room's washbasin to wipe his face. And he let out a self-centered cry, making Link and Navi whip around.

"What did you—my, my face!" Dark poked at the tender silver flesh of his left cheek, which had already started to puff and bruise.

Link rolled his eyes. He seemed to have become a lot more sarcastic in the last few days. "Oh for goddesses sake Dark, it's just a small bruise."

"_Fix it!_" Dark snarled at him, red eyes glinting with the anger of his inner demon, "_Now_!" Link exchanged a look of disbelief with Navi, and then looked back at Dark, one eyebrow raised amusedly.

"Are—are you serious?"

"_Deadly_ serious Hero!" Dark snarled back, still poking the tender skin irritably. "You've damaged my body; do you think these things grow on_ trees_? _Fix it_!"

Link exchanged another look with Navi and looked back at Dark. "Umm, there's some potion in the cabinet under the basin." Link indicated the spot where Dark was standing. "Just a small bit should do it."

Dark wasted no time. He swung the cabinet's doors open and drank a bit of the potion, feeling its effects working on his mortal skin instantly. He let out a sigh of relief. To think he'd almost damaged his borrowed body, what a horror that would have been.

ooooooooooooooooooo

Dark crossed his legs idly; he liked this throne, made him feel like the kingdom was already his. Dark was alone in Hyrule Castle's main audience chamber. His work was done. The sealing circle had been completed, now that all remained was for the army of light to assemble and for them all to await Crimodia's inevitable arrival.

Dark yawned and leaned back, his hands forming a makeshift pillow behind his head. He could defiantly get used to this kind of life. A comfortable bed, food anytime he wanted it, a throne, Dark smirked, nope nothing bad there.

"Dark, you look comfortable." Dark opened one glittering red eye in slight irritation. Who would be so foolish as to bother him when he was this at peace? Dark frowned when he realized who it was that was approaching him across the chamber, "The princess," he thought "Of course she would."

Dark sat up in the chair, extending one hand in invitation, enticing smirk in place. "Princess! Care to join me?" he smirked deeper when Zelda returned his comment with a dark scowl.

"No, but perhaps you would like to remove yourself from my throne?" Dark smirked and stood up, bowing mockingly as he moved aside, allowing the princess to pass.

"Your wish is my command my lady."

Zelda glared at him regally from the side of her eyes. "Drop the act Dark, I have an important matter to discuss with you."

Dark straightened and moved down the throne's steps until he hit the floor. He turned back to look at the ruler of all Hyrule, his eyes dancing amusedly. "And what is that princess?" he purred.

"I know Dark. I know why you came before, and I know why you are here now." Dark flinched, his smirk faltering slightly.

"Do you now?" Dark said as coldly as he could, still trying to keep Zelda from noticing the tremor her words had sent through him.

"You're almost complete." Zelda responded, her voice almost not her own, and Dark knew instantly why.

"The Sheikah," he whispered looking up at Zelda's dead eyes, "of course you know. You always did."

"I came to tell you that you have to hurry. If Link does not awaken completely to his—to you, before Crimodia arrives, then he won't be—"

"I'm very aware of my own duties thank you." Dark replied nastily, spite making his words feel like chips of ice.

"Then you must be aware that Crimodia's presence is practically at our gates. I think you have mere hours."

Dark frowned and began to walk away.

"Where are you going? Hero's Shadow, you have a duty to perform! It is your only purpose, you cannot fail!" The Sheikah shouted at his retreating back through Zelda's slender lips.

Dark ignored him and kept on walking. He was aware of his purpose, for how could he not? Being this close to Link for a prolonged period had made it unwaveringly clear. He was aware that the Hero was troubled, and he was aware that he himself was not. And that meant that something was wrong, for that was never how it was supposed to be.

Dark reached the double doors that lead out into the main hallway. Dark opened one as he heard Sheik shout one last command at his back.

"He's practicing in the courtyard, meet up with him and finish the job. Or else we will all surely perish, and this alliance will fail."

Dark ground his teeth and refused to respond. Dark instead passed through the door into the hallway, slamming it shut behind him. Dark moved in the direction that his tie with his light side told him was correct. His mind full of the words Sheik had unloaded on him. Dark was aware of what the Sheikah man meant, for how could he not know?

Dark was the evil. He was the one who was meant to suffer. He was the villain. Now he had to play the role, the role he would always play, the Hero's shadow, and never the Hero.

oooooooooooooooooooo

"You do realize that this battle will call for much more than you've ever given before right?" Dark leaned lazily against the inner courtyard's wall as he watched the Hero of Time practice swinging and slicing at the air. Link paused in his onslaught at invisible enemies to give his dark side a scowl.

"I already told you, I'm more than capable of defeating the enemies of light."

Dark smirked. "So long as they aren't yourself, that is." Link's scowl switched to an angry and embarrassed glare. He seemed to be combining those two emotions a lot lately; of course, he'd been spending a lot more time around his dark side lately.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he shot back angrily, jabbing a finger at Dark.

"You know perfectly well what I mean. Don't play into the naivety of a dill-witted hero." Dark leaned his head back and closed his eyes, as if he thought the conversation to be at its end. He smirked again when he felt the sharp pain of the goodness of the Master Sword prick the skin on his left arm. Dark opened one eye, "Yes? Can I help you Hero?"

"What did you mean 'so long as they aren't myself?'" Link asked again. This time his voice felt more serious, almost dark. Dark used a black gauntleted hand to push the Master Sword away, feeling the shining goodness of the blade burn his hand even through his gauntlets.

"Do you think it was any coincidence that you met me in the Water Temple Hero?" Dark answered Link's question with a question, making his light side's eyes spark.

"I suppose that no, it probably wasn't a coincidence." Link pulled away and began attacking invisible enemies again. Still talking as he swung out his frustration at the air. "When we fought, it felt like we were meant to fight. Like we would always be meant to fight, and it felt right." Link swung hard, nearly locking his sword into the ground, but he firmly yanked it free. Dark watched him closely, red eyes glinting.

"It's because what you fought in that Temple, what I am, is a reflection of you." Dark continued to lean against the wall, but not nearly as lazily anymore. There was a slight anxiety creeping into his steely skin, and his eyes flashed with anticipation, he reached for his replica.

Link whipped his head around to glare at Dark before looking back ahead of him and swinging even harder as if he were killing one of the invisible enemies, "I am _nothing_ like you Dark; you're _my_ shadow."

Dark frowned and returned his replica to the shadows. He relaxed because it seemed that the Hero wasn't in the mood for a fight, too bad.

"You are correct, but only partly. I am your reflection, your shadow yes. But I am also, _you_." Dark punctuated this statement with a shift in his swirling eyes, which darkened and lightened faster than usual, implying a sense of almost determination, making them gleam. Link looked back over his shoulder, blue eyes filled with a cross between mirth and disbelief.

"You expect me to fall for another one of your tricks Dark? You're delusional."

"It's not a trick." Dark replied coolly, every syllable ringing out with the severity of his words. Hey, the Hero had asked the question, Dark was simply supplying the answer. "Think back Hero, think back on what that annoying Sheikah told you when he taught you the Serenade of Water."

Link swung one more time and did as his dark side told him to do. His eyes widened a bit, "He told me that in the Water Temple, I would, I would have to face myself. That the Serenade of Water was a reflection of myself."

"Correct. And now think back on what that annoying twit of a fairy told you."

"Navi said—said I had to conquer myself in order to leave that room."

"Correct again! And the Hero can be taught!"

Link lowered his blade and turned to look directly at Dark, his dark blue eyes serious. Dark smirked back at him, his red eyes betraying the severity that his mouth denied.

"If you are me then— then why?"

"I am not a god of fate Hero, I cannot answer that question." Dark broke his gaze with the Hero of Time and sighed as if bored, "However, I do know that because I am essentially you, at least I am your negative side; I know more about you then you know about yourself." Dark stared off past the castle walls, where he could almost see Crimodia mounting her forces in preparation of the coming battle. There was little time left.

"How can you know more about me than me?" Link said a bit indignant, "I _am me_."

"Yes, but you still haven't conquered me Hero, and I don't think you ever truly will." Dark returned his attention to Link, who was scowling again, the seriousness of the moment before seeming to have passed.

"Oh I will, someday."

"Just not today?"

"No, not today, today I have to beat that monster witch." Link gave his dark side a grin that said _I'm excited_.

"Hey, don't forget that some of that dark army has my name on it. I wanna blast some of them all the way back to the time before time." Dark smirked and his eyes danced with _Me too._


	12. Ch 12: Fate, the Clash, and Eternal Ties

Chapter 12: Fate, the Clash and Eternal Ties

Dark swung hard, his Dark Replica slicing swiftly through the Stalfos in front of him, severing it cleanly. Beside him a second blade, identical to his own, struck down a small Dodongo as if it were made of nothing more than paper; dodging the explosion that came with its death. Dark smirked and took out another Stalfos before whipping around and splitting a Keese in half.

"Oh goddess above, I hate those. They're just so _annoying_." Dark looked up at his light side, who had paused to swallow a gulp of milk; the effects clear on his face as he gulped down the liquid energy restorer.

"At least they aren't on _fire_, or worse, made of _ice_." Dark replied as he swung behind himself, stopping a red Tektite in its path. His light side smirked, the thrill of battle making him much less upset with his dark side. As much as he hated to admit it, fighting alongside Dark made him feel like he was fighting alongside himself. It wasn't a bad feeling; it was like being friends with himself. Odd as that was to think.

"That's true." Link conceded as he turned his attention to the rest of the battlefield where the forces of light were holding their own against the large dark army that pressed down on them from all sides.

The army of light worked to eliminate the minor forces of darkness, but they had strict instructions to only engage Crimodia if they were certain they could lead her towards the sealing circle, and not end up in serious danger.

"She's almost to the site." Link's words made Dark flinch and back away. "Do you think I should make my way over there?" Link turned to look back at his other half, a courageous battle smirk making his blue eyes spark. "Dark?"

"If you believe you're ready, then go." Dark looked into his opposite's eyes, his own dark ones seeming to hide his actual feelings. Link looked at him quizzically before dispatching another Stalfos that had noticed their apparent distraction.

"Of course I'm ready, why wouldn't I be? It's just another dark enemy, just another battle." Link replied reassuringly before turning around and running in the direction of Crimodia's presence, slicing enemies as he went.

"I just fear that you don't know what lies ahead of you Hero." Dark spoke quietly, and he swung his blade at the Keese that was aiming for him, making it scream and hit the ground.

_Dark, I know you're out there, come face me so I can kill you._

Dark shook his head; feeling Crimodia's presence slithering away, beckoning him.

oooooooooooooooooooo

The battle raged on. It felt like the forces of light and dark had been fighting for ages, but it had only been close to four hours at most. Link swung his blade at the dark being that had no form, hearing her wicked laughter in his ears, _in his head_.

"Oh so is this all the Hero of Time has to offer? If you didn't have that good blade to swing about, then you would have nothing." Crimodia laughed at him and sent a blast of dark energy his way. Link rolled to the right and dodged the blast, hearing and feeling it sizzle and smolder the ground.

Link breathed heavily. He and Crimodia had been fighting for a while now, and still she was far from the location of the sealing circle, and no weaker. Link was quickly tiring.

"I will make sure that your death will be a noble one!" Crimodia cried as she shot another blast at him, making him roll and dodge again. "You will die trying in vain to kill that which cannot be killed."

Link reached behind his back and pulled free a light arrow; he quickly strung his bow and unleashed the arrow. He grimaced when his shot missed. Crimodia almost seemed to be grinning down at him, but she had no form so he couldn't be sure.

"This battle is almost at its end Hero of Time, why don't you just sit there and accept the hand fate has dealt you?" Crimodia lined up another blast and Link prepared himself to dodge again. "I did when fate dealt me this existence, and look at me now. I'm a mistress of all darkness, only mere moments from extinguishing all the light from the world!"

Crimodia shot another blast of negative energy at him and Link dodged successfully, but he was slowing. He wasn't sure how much longer he could simply dodge her attacks, he had to lure her to the sealing circle. It was the only way.

"What do you think—"

Link looked up to see the forces of darkness climbing across Crimodia. Stalfos swung at her legs; Keese dove at her head; even Dodongo's bit at her heels. Link blinked. _What in the name of—_

oooooooooooooooooooo

"What do you think—" Crimodia cried angrily as the forces of darkness attacked her at every free spot they could. "Minions! Do not defy me!" Crimodia struck out at them, sending numouros amounts flying. But there were simply too many, she could never remove them all, and they were directly attacking her.

"You said once that you and I were nothing." Crimodia whipped her head around to see Dark standing there, his arms crossed languidly, his red eyes glittering. The skin of his face was unbelievably luminescent, inhumanly bright. His feathery silver hair was blowing in the slight breeze, and it made him seem even more inhuman, even more like Dark.

"You've given up that borrowed body? For what? For the beings of the light?" Crimodia screeched at him. Dark flinched slightly as he felt her presence in his head, seeking to entice him to her side. It whispered that now that he had no earthly form of his own, why not let her supply him with one?

"I'll give you the greatest one of all." Crimodia cried at Dark. Had she been closer to mortality then she might have sounded desperate, as it was her voice only seemed to rise in pitch. "I will give you the Hero of Time's! Simply kill him and it's yours."

Link, who had been pulling himself unsteadily to his feet, froze. He looked over at Dark who was looking at him with eyes that were soulless, that were dead to emotion and to life. Link looked into those eyes and he saw himself. He saw what he was in his nightmares. He saw what he could have been; saw what would always be there, just beneath the skin.

Dark smirked wickedly at him, his lips upturning unnoticeably slightly. Link felt his body stiffen.

ooooooooooooooooooo

_It's because what you fought in that Temple, what I am, is a reflection of you._

_I know what lies in your heart Hero. I know your desires._

_Can you beat me? Can you conquer yourself?_

"Dark, don't listen to a word she says." Link yelled at his negative side as he felt his dark side's words swirl about his head, finally realizing. Dark looked at him, red eyes swirling.

"Don't listen to him Dark! Listen to me; I am like you. Nothing and nothing, we understand each other." Dark swung his head back to look at Crimodia, torn.

"She's a liar. She only wants to use you! As soon as you finish doing what she wants, she'll be done with you." Dark whipped back around to look at his light half. Well that was defiantly true.

"Now who's the liar? Do you think those beings of light will simply _accept_ you when this battle is over? Do you think there's a place for you in the realm of light?" Dark flinched and Crimodia almost seemed to be grinning through her pain. "There may never be a place for you in the light, but there will always be a place for you in the dark."

Dark seemed to respond well to that comment, making Link feel a flash of anger and betrayal, though he couldn't be certain why.

"I suppose you are ri—" Dark began, turning his attention to Crimodia, beginning to walk towards her, drawing his Replica to free her.

"Dark, don't you _dare_ finish that sentence!" Link screamed, making his dark half turn around confused. Link sprung forward, his blade drawn and he swung at his dark half viciously. Dark raised his Replica in a mirrored blow, making their two blades crash loudly.

"Wh—what?" Dark sputtered, his eyes swirling in a way that was decidedly dazed and un-Dark.

"Conquer yourself you smarmy, selfish, piece of—"

"Finish that sentence and I'll use my Dark Replica to cut out your tongue!" Dark's eyes seemed to shatter inwardly. And Link exchanged a smirk with the slender lips on his opposite's half.

"Welcome back you sadistic skulltulla."

"I already told you. I'm not sadistic; I'm practical."

oooooooooooooooooooo

"Let's seal this demonic witch away!" Link sprung away from his dark half, turning his attention to the seven sages who had placed themselves at the seven points of the sealing circle. Crimodia screamed in fury as the dark forces half-carried and half-dragged her to the circle's center; thanks greatly to a certain being of darkness.

"Fine by me!" Dark shouted as he sprung outside of the circle, landing lightly across from his light half.

The seven sages began to chant, and Dark watched as Crimodia writhed and screamed in anguish and fury.

In a matter of moments it was done. With Crimodia gone, the forces of darkness began to retreat, but not before the army of light succeeded in diminishing their numbers substantially.

Dark shifted and floated. He no longer had a mortal body with which to move within the light, so he was forced to retreat towards the castle's inside. As he slithered inside, seeking refuge from the blinding light of late afternoon, Dark heard the cheers of victory. And he wished for nothing more than to have a body of his own, so he could enjoy his first victory since the beginning of his existence.

ooooooooooooooooooooo

"You have won the battle Link." Zelda almost hugged the Hero of Time, but she restrained herself. "And Crimodia will never again threaten Hyrule."

"Excellent job Link!" Saria jumped up and down excitedly, making her childhood friend blush a bit in embarrassment.

"Th—thanks everyone." Link said as they all began chattering their praise at once. Just outside of the circle of sages cheered the army of light, it seemed as if all of Hyrule was chanting his name. All of Hyrule minus one, Link looked out in the crowd, searching for those familiar red eyes.

"Hey, where'd Dark go?"


	13. Ch 13:What You Want

Chapter 13: What You Want

Dark sat alone in the chamber Zelda had granted him, his red eyes glittering in a mixture between dark pleasure and disappointment. Dark rubbed two slender steely fingertips together, making dark sparks. The dark energy seemed to flicker, if it was possible for darkness to flicker, but Dark felt nothing.

Dark's gaze rose, and he looked out the large glass window of his chamber as best he could. He sat in the large stiff-backed velvet chair just outside of the reaches of the light shafts that swept the floor.

He appeared to anyone who didn't know him well to be bored and nonchalant. But to those who knew him, he seemed almost, sad.

It had been nearly twenty-four hours since the battle with Crimodia. Dark still hadn't left his room. The idea of facing the celebrating beings of light in his current sate was too much for him to take, made him feel almost useless. And if there was one thing that Dark hated, it was feeling useless.

Dark swung one slender booted foot towards the light. It slid out slightly, just grazing the warmth of the sunlight. Dark felt the sharp pain that light caused, and he withdrew his foot quickly.

_Knock. Knock._

Dark looked up and over as the door to his room opened. Dark knew who he expected it to be, but he also knew who he wanted it to be. But then Dark never got what he wanted. He was always giving others that satisfaction.

"Hello Dark, how are you feeling?" Dark growled at the princess's insensitive comment. _Feeling? He would never feel again._

"I'm fine. Now go away." Dark responded heatedly before staring again out the window, not that he could see much being so far away from the actual glass. He felt Zelda's presence approach him. "Away is the other direction, _princess_."

"I'm aware." She replied regally, and he watched her out of the side of one glittering red eye. "But I came here to fetch you, not to bother you."

"What fetching would that be?" Dark snarled and smirked at the same time, something only he could do.

"If you come you'll know." Zelda extended one pristinely-gloved hand to him. It wasn't a beckoning gesture; it wasn't a command; it was a hand extended in what could only be traces of affability. Dark looked at it in a mixture of disbelief and irritation. There was no way that hand was meant for him.

"What are you doing?" he replied sarcastically, raising one slender silver eyebrow and smirking. Zelda rolled her eyes, actually rolled them. Dark's smirk deepened, she'd been a lot more sarcastic lately too.

"Will you stop being so difficult and just get up and come with me?" she responded, her voicing dancing with goodwill as well as slight irritation. Dark shook his head and let her help him up.

"You'e an odd one princess, just like that annoying Sheikah."

ooooooooooooooooooo

"You have done this kingdom a great service, and I am proud to say it." Zelda smiled almost warmly down at Dark. He knelt before her and the other six sages, his dark red eyes staring blankly at the red carpet in front of him. The princess's words echoed off the stone walls of the audience chamber, making them seem even more regal than before.

"If there is something within my reasonable power to grant you, you may ask for it now." Dark smirked almost warmly up at the princess, making her lips upturn a bit as well.

"So no passing of the kingdom into another's hands today then?"

"I'm afraid not." Zelda replied, a soft smile making her lips seem even more lovely than normal. Dark pretended to be upset at the comment, but he wasn't tricking anyone, not even himself. He looked back at the princess, his eyes dancing. But He couldn't ask for what he really wanted. He looked back at the floor dejectedly.

"I only want one thing." He said quietly to the floor, almost respectfully. "It's all I've ever really wanted, but I know it's a lot to ask."

"I think you forget that the goddesses are known for their mercy Dark, and for their gratitude." Dark froze. He actually froze at the comment, his eyes pinned to the floor. Slowly he raised his head, his red eyes almost pleading.

"We have already consulted the forces of Light." This came from Saria, the Sage of the Forest. Dark looked at her in disbelief.

"They agree that you are worthy, although they doubt very much that you'll stay that way." This came from Darunia, the Sage of Fire, his thick Goron arms crossed and a big grin on his face. Dark felt his heart quicken, and his throat dry up.

"If we grant your wish you must promise that you will never again threaten Hyrule." Ruto, the former princess of the Zoras, smiled and winked at him. Implying that she didn't really mean her own words. Him not attacking Hyrule would be an imbalance, not to mention _boring_.

"I doubt very much that you're much of a threat anyway, you're just a more angst ridden version of Link after all." This comment came from Impa the Sage of Shadow, who grinned mockingly at her own joke. Dirk began to smirk again.

"Oh I think he has great potential." This comment came from Nobooru, the Sage of Spirit, who flicked her long red hair over her shoulder and laughed openly.

"You're all mad." This came from Rauru, the Sage of Light, but Dark could sense that he didn't mean a word of it. Dark almost felt tears in his eyes. He almost felt them drip down his cheeks, but he didn't care. He didn't care if he bawled for days. All he cared about was the fact that Zelda was holding one pristinely-gloved hand out to him, beckoning him to follow her.

oooooooooooooooooooooo

"Dark?" Link knocked on his other half's door hard. "Dark are you in there? It's time for lunch, I know how much you love foo—" Link paused as he entered his other half's temporary home in Hyrule Castle; it was empty.

"Dark?" Link asked quizzically, almost worriedly, "Dark? Are you in here?"

"No he's not. He's already departed."

Link swung his golden head to the side of the chamber where one stiff-backed velvet chair sat pushed up close to the large glass window. Link squinted, trying to see who it was who'd spoken, the voice seemed odd, and yet familiar. "Departed?"

"He left a few hours ago; you only just missed him." Link's eyes widened when he saw one pristinely-white gloved hand beckon him closer. Link obeyed.

"Why? Why'd he leave?" Link asked, the beginnings of panic slinking themselves around his questions, choking them in his throat, "Why—why would he leave—"

"He has succeeded in defeating that which threatened him and Hyrule. Our alliance has ended, so he left." Link had reached Zelda's side, and he looked down at her as she stared blankly out the window. It was then that he realized why her voice sounded so odd; there were traces of another in the tones. Another Link knew very well.

"Sheik," Link whispered as the other half of the ruler of Hyrule looked at him with emotionless eyes.

"Hero of Time, I think it is for the best that you spend some time away from your dark side for awhile. This close proximity between you two has greatly altered you both." Link looked away. He knew it was the truth, but that didn't mean he didn't hate to hear it.

"I started too actually—"

"It is understandable; two halves eventually long to be whole. You are each other's definition, you both need the other to continue existing."

"But he—that is, I—"

"You don't feel that way?"

Link's gaze flicked back to Sheik, "He showed me my failures. He showed me what it meant, what I'd would have been if I'd—"

"If you had failed, if you were Dark. He is you Link; he will always be you. At least, he will always be your shadow."

Link let his breath go, not even realizing he'd been holding it.

"Hero of Time, he was only doing what it is his purpose to do and nothing more. Now that he has done what he was put in this world to do, he has no more reason to remain here." Link sighed and returned his gaze to the window.

"So where did he go?"

"I'm certain I don't know. He's your shadow, can't you feel him?"


	14. Ch 14: Epilogue and Conclusions

Chapter 14: Epilogue and Conclusions

_Link_

"So what do you think he's doing right now?" Zelda said as she fixed her crown in the full-length mirror. Her and Link were in her chambers, preparing for their official announcement to the kingdom of Hyrule.

The battle with Crimodia had left parts of Hyrule in pieces; devastation was everywhere. Zelda and Link intended to make an official statement concerning the evil of Crimodia, their battle and sealing of her, and of course their plans to reconstruct Hyrule.

"I bet he's off causing problems somewhere." Link replied coolly as he stood in front of another of Zelda's many mirrors, straightening up his Hero's attire. Zelda spared him a glance that danced with a mix between mirth and uncertainty.

"Really?" Zelda said, a hint of disbelief working its way in-between her words. Zelda was wise for a reason, and she could hear things before they were said, even if they never would be said. And she had defiantly been using that power a lot around the young Hero of Time lately.

"Of course! Now that he has what he wants, it's only a matter of time before he abuses it so bad that he causes problems for all of us. _Again_." Link said a tad fiercely as he finished his straightening and turned to look at Princess Zelda. Link felt his body tense up at the sight of the grand ruler of all Hyrule in all her regal glory, looking at him. It was as if Zelda only had eyes for him, and it made his insides squirm a bit in hesitation, for he still wasn't sure if he could look at her that way, ever.

"If I were allowed to speak in the defense of a being of darkness, which as a hero of light I cannot, then I would say that you do not give him the justice he deserves." Zelda replied as she pulled on her long and pristinely white gloves. "You forget that, whatever it is that he is now, he still was mortal once. He is still a man."

Link rolled his eyes and scoffed; Dark was anything but an average man. Dark was a villainous, treacherous, underhanded, and selfish being of darkness. Dark was all of Link's nightmares, all of his faults, starring back at him from twin cold and lifeless red eyes. Dark was the opposite of Link in almost every way, except for one very crucial and mind-numbing similarity. Link looked at his reflection, heart flipping at the mere thought of his other half. No, Zelda didn't and couldn't understand what it felt like to know that that being was out there, free to wreak havoc and someday, to return.

"Link, he isn't coming back." Link flinched slightly at Zelda's words. They'd slammed him from his thoughts, making him feel the slightest flash of anger, but he shook that feeling free.

"I know." Link replied quietly. "And I thought that would make me happy, but it doesn't. It's almost as if—almost as if—" Link couldn't finish the sentence. But he didn't have to, Zelda already knew, for how could she not?

"He is your other half Link, and so long as he exists outside of your sub-conscious, you will never feel complete. I warned you of that back when you were having the nightmares, do you remember?" Zelda had walked up until she was right beside Link. She reached her hands out and grasped his in her own, squeezing them tightly. Link returned the sentiment fondly, Zelda was his great friend.

"So what do you think he is doing right now? Or can you not sense him anymore?"

"I can still sense him. But it's faint and fluttering, almost non-existent." Link looked out the window as he watched crowds of the many races of Hyrule begin to enter into the large open courtyard, waiting to hear from their beloved princess and their Hero of Time. His gaze slowly shifted until he stared out past his eyeline, as if his eyes were drawn in that direction. "I'm not sure what he's doing right now, but I can tell that for the first time in a long time, he's generally _happy_."

_Dark_

Dark swung a leg back and forth idly. He was lounging in the upper branches of a tree just outside of Lake Hylia. He could feel a light breeze rustling his silvery hair, making it dance slightly. His red and soulless eyes were shut tight, and he leaned back against the tree's trunk almost sleepily.

Dark had forgotten many things since he'd last had a body. He'd forgotten food; he'd forgotten the riding; he'd forgotten ever good human emotion. But now he laid back into the tree, and his body, his_ actual_ very own body, _felt_.

Dark rubbed the fingers of his right hand together, their silvery tips sliding against each other, making dark sparks. He could feel his own flesh, and it made him grin. This was what made him different; this was what finally separated him from all others.

For Dark was still a demon. He was still a monster that wielded the powers of darkness as if they were toys. He was still a being devoted to negativity and sin. He was still a being that lived only to destroy towns, devastate kingdoms, and corrupt beings of light. What's more, he was still a shadow. He was still the Hero of Time's shadow, and that was what he would always be. A villain doomed forever to be the negative half to the hero, and never the hero himself.

"Still," Dark thought as he opened his eyes and gazed up in the direction of Hyrule Castle, unknowingly locking eyes with the Hero of Light as he did, "It's what makes me whole."

**The End.**

**Well that's it. Link and Dark have been split, although they still remain connected as they always will be. Crimodia is gone, not likely to ever see the light of day or fan ficition again. **

**I thought about adding to this story. But I'm afraid that it ends here. **

**HOWEVER, I never said that I wouldn't write anymore Dark and Link fan fiction. And I never said that Dark won't return someday to mess with them all. We'll see. :D Maybe I will add a third story to this cycle, that all depends on you. If you liked it well enough then tell me and I will start thinking of an aditional story. If not, then o well.**

**Please Review. This is the longest anything I've ever written, and I'm thouroughly exhausted. Although I loved writing these characters a lot. Ths was a fun story to write. :D**

**Also, I would like to again request the artists to sketch, draw, paint whatever a scene from either this or "Pathway to Destruction." I don't care what it looks like! I will love it forever. 3**

**Well, until next time! ~starrose2012**


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